


Falling Petals

by MisticRays



Category: Mad King - Fandom, Mad King Ryan - Fandom, Ryan Haywood - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Swearing, Violence, maybe smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-14
Updated: 2015-12-01
Packaged: 2018-04-20 17:23:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 23,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4795943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MisticRays/pseuds/MisticRays
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anna is King Geoff's ward. She lives with the king, his queen Griffon and their son Ryan. However, on the day that Ryan announces his marriage to Anna, the king banishes her from the Kingdom. Years later, when she eventually returns, she finds the kingdom much changed. Rumours of a "Mad King" float around and, curiosity getting the better of her, Anna goes to investigate what has happened to her lost love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I did it again! I got to thinking of ideas and god damn it! Oh well. Three stories on the go is normal right?

I sat at dinner with the royal family, all of us enjoying a huge meal. I had been seventeen at the time, living in the castle as King Geoff’s ward. His wife, Griffon, and his son, Ryan, had been very kind to me. My father had been the head of the guard but sadly he had fallen during battle. My mother had died at childbirth, the act too much for her fragile and sickly body. With both my parents dead I would hadn’t many other options set before me. Any other relatives of mine lived miles away from the castle and the thought of leaving my friends was too horrible to stand. Thankfully, though, the king had extended the kindness he often showed my father to me, offering a room in the castle. I lived there, as his ward, and grew up in the finest household the land had to offer.

I had dark brown hair, inherited from my mother, which I usually kept down so it flowed freely past my shoulders. It was naturally wavy and was always silky smooth and I loved it. My eyes were a dark green, almost as green as a pine tree, and my father used to always say there was a curious glint in them. Like I was always up to something even if I was completely innocent. I had also gotten my mother’s looks; fine eyebrows, luscious shell pink lips, flawless milky skin. Everyone always commented on how beautiful I was, even though I hated the attention.

Ryan was around my age, about three years older than me actually, and we grew up to be the very best of friends. He had one of the kindest and gentlest hearts out of everyone. With bright blue eyes and dark blonde hair, he was turning heads by the age of three. The King and the Queen loved their son very much and, while I was not related, I was seen as family too. However that all changed the day King Geoff announced the marriage of Ryan and our neighbouring kingdom’s daughter, Meg.

“I shall not marry some wench I have never laid eyes on!” Ryan yelled. King Geoff was used to these kinds of outbursts from Ryan. He had a temper much like his father’s. The king twirled his moustache, deep in thought as he tried to come up with a way to convince his son to the marriage.

“Son, it does not matter if you have seen her or not. This marriage will secure our alliance with King Jack and will make our borders stronger. This marriage will happen.” Geoff insisted.

“But Father,” Ryan tried again for the third time. We were at dinner when Geoff made the announcement. I knew the servants were listening to this conversation like blood hounds on the hunt. No doubt any disturbance between the royal family was something to gossip about. “I’m not just some asset you can auction off to the next highest bidder! I should be the one to make these decisions!”

“Oh? And who would you pick?” Geoff asked. There weren’t many princesses around during these times. Princess Lindsay was already married to Prince Michael and Princess Tina was betrothed to Prince Ray. Any other princess was kingdoms away and marrying into a land that couldn’t send troops over within two days was out of the question. Not to mention most of the outside kingdoms were our enemies. Jack’s Kingdom, along with the Rose Kingdom, the Kingdom of Bears and The Kingdom of The Keepers, were the only allies The Kingdom of Edgar had.

“I’ll marry Anna!” Ryan decided. I spit out my wine as Ryan practically yelled my name, the king howling with laughter.

“Anna?!” He demanded, wiping tears from his face. “Anna isn’t a princess.” The queen shot me an apologetic look, knowing how shocked I was to be put in the middle of this argument.

“It doesn’t have to be a princess does it?” Ryan asked. “You know as well as I do that Anna is more than capable of taking care of this kingdom.” Sometimes, as a last resort, the king would come to me for advice on how to deal with a situation. He always did as I suggested and praised me for making the right choice.

“Yes Ryan it has to be a princess. It’s called royalty for a reason.” Geoff shook his head.

“I will not marry Meg.”

“Yes you will.”

“Even if I do what’s to stop me from ending it?” Ryan demanded.

“My orders.” Geoff replied.

“I think,” Griffon said softly, rising from her seat. “That Anna and I shall go for a walk while you two settle things. Anna?” I got up, bowing slightly to Geoff and Ryan, and followed Griffon out of the room. Just before the door closed behind us, we could hear Ryan yelling again and we both shook our heads. “My son.” Was all Griffon said.

“He knows what he wants,” I commented. “Sometimes it just takes a bit to see it’s not what the kingdom needs.” Griffon linked arms with me and we headed for the garden. Besides the library, the garden was my favorite place. The flowers were always in bloom and in so many different colours. I could spend hours upon hours just sitting outside, enjoying the sun and the fragrance coming from the flowers.

“Yes. He is hard headed. Just like his father,” she was quiet for a moment. “I am sorry about Ryan’s outburst about you.”

“Oh no it’s okay. Really,” I replied. “I know he was just being him. He knows something like would never happen.” I shook my head. Many times Ryan has declared to me that he’d rather marry me than whoever his Father picked. I usually just shook my head and threw a book at him.

“He loves you,” Griffon said. “More than one would a sister or friend.”

“As soon as he sees the princess he will love her.” I reassured her.

“You don’t believe in soul mates? I’ve seen the way you look at him. His feelings are not one way.” She replied. She did not sound upset or angry at this. Rather, she sounded happy.

“It is but a girl’s crush.” I insisted.

“It’s alright Anna. Really. If I had it my way you two would already be married.”

“Your Majesty!” I exclaimed, causing her to laugh.

“Oh come now Anna. Honestly it should be that way. I’ve always thought it. Did I ever tell you that I loved a common boy back home?” She glanced over at me and I shook my head. “He was a lovely boy. Worked for the blacksmith as an apprentice. Oh but he could make me laugh. I was determined to run away with him and start our own family. My father would have nothing of it. It’s why I was married so young. He wanted me to forget such foolish thoughts. But see, the thing with children, foolish thoughts are needed sometimes. It allows for much needed change.”

“Ma’am?”

“Just…don’t lose hope okay?” I nodded and we continued on our walk before Ryan came and found us.

“Mother,” he greeted. “Anna.”

“Have you and your father come to an agreement?” Griffon asked.

“Not even close.” Ryan answered, smiling a little.

“What else is new? Well, I’m off to bed I suppose. Must get lots of rest for the company tomorrow.” Griffon bid us goodnight and left, a few guards following her out of the garden.

“Walk with me?” Ryan asked, holding his arm out. I accepted it and we continued down the garden paths a bit until we were both out of sight of the castle. “Who does he think he is?” Ryan demanded.

“Your father.” I replied.

“Yes but he should not have a say in who I marry. That should be my choice.”

“But he is right Ryan. The kingdoms need to be connected. Without that alliance we are vulnerable to attack.”

“Yes but-”

“But nothing. It’s for the good of the kingdom. A king needs a strong queen at his side. Someone who can bear him an heir. It is duty.” I scolded. As much as the queen had been right about my feelings I knew it would never be. A girl with no title was hardly fitting for queen.

“Duty. That’s all everyone talks about now.” Ryan grumbled, kicking a stone.

“Because you are soon to be king,” I shook my head. “At least meet the princess. I hear she is quite beautiful.”

“Beauty cannot portray what is truly in one’s heart. It certainly cannot make me change my mind.” He pouted.

“Things will work out in the end,” I promised. “Anyways, your mother was right. King Jack and his family will be arriving in the morning. You should get rest.”

“You’re right,” Ryan sighed. “But mark my words if I am to marry anyone in any of the kingdoms, it will be you.” He stopped walking and turned towards me, getting down on one knee and producing a ring.

“Ryan!” I gasped. It was beautiful. A diamond sat in the middle of small rubies and emeralds with a band of gold encasing them.

“Anna if I cannot marry you then I would rather not marry anyone. From the moment I laid eyes on you I knew it had to be you.”

“Ryan, you were seven when we first met.” I giggled.

“Yeah and I could see you’d be perfect!” He insisted. “Will you please do me the honor of being my wife and queen?”

“Yes!” I breathed. He smiled and slipped the ring onto my finger. I held it up in the moonlight and admired how the gems glowed. “It’s beautiful.”

“A beautiful ring for a beautiful girl,” Ryan murmured, drawing me into his arms. “I have one more surprise for you my love.” He whispered into my hair.

“What is it?” Instead of answering, Ryan took my hand and led me to one of the garden walls where a door stood, leading to outside the castle walls. He unlocked it and we slipped out into the night. We headed towards the town’s church where, surprisingly, the lights were still on. Inside, the priest waited for us, wearing the robes one would wear when conducting a marriage.

“Ah, my prince.” The priest looked up as we came closer, a smile on his face.

“Forgive me for keeping you up late.” Ryan bowed.

“Nonsense. I am happy to help you with this,” the priest turned towards me and took my hands. “Dearest Anna. I know your father would be proud. Are you ready to begin?” We both nodded and the priest released me. Excitement hummed through my veins as we took out places across from each other. The priest had us say our vows and, as Ryan and I promised ourselves to each other, I felt like this was the happiest moment in my life. We both knew we’d be in trouble when his father heard of this but at that moment, neither of us cared. At the end of our vows we shared a passionate kiss, one that promised forever, and thanked the priest. He wished us luck and we headed back to the castle, slipping in the same way we got out and heading for our rooms.

“Sadly we won’t be able to…consummate this tonight,” Ryan sighed. “The walls of ears and I would prefer this staying hidden until the proper moment.”

“Your father is going to kill us.” I commented.

“It will be worth it, love.” Ryan kissed the back of my hand as we neared the doors. “Until tomorrow.” We stole one last kiss before heading off on our separate ways.

 

The next morning, the entire castle was buzzing. The chefs were quickly preparing for the night’s big feast, the maids were cleaning every room, the groundkeepers were trimming the hedges and I was sitting in my room, a giant smile on my face, as I stared at my wedding ring. A package had been sent to me that morning, from Ryan. It was the most beautiful dress I had ever seen. It was made up of long and flowing dark red, silky material. The neckline dipped down just enough to not be improper but it was close. A ruby necklace and earrings had come with it as well, finishing the look off. A note was attached to the paper the dress had been wrapped in.

_My dearest love,_

_I hope to see you wearing this tonight. I want you to be the star of the evening. My love, my queen, I shall announce our marriage tonight, in front of everyone. Do not worry about my father. He shall have to accept it._

_With all my love,_

_Ryan_

I smiled to myself and ran a hand over the dress. While I was worried about what the king would think of Ryan’s marriage to me I couldn’t let it completely destroy my happiness. So, for the rest of the day I kept myself busy. I read through most of my book which was about an adventurer saving a kingdom from an evil king. Reading was my favorite past time. Every book held a new world for me to explore. I could become the characters and fight dangerous battles. Ryan sometimes laughed at how I would rather stay in my room all day reading instead of going outside and socializing. Eventually the time for the feast drew close. Usually a proper greeting would be held between both royal families but Jack’s party had a ways to travel yet from where they stopped for the night, leaving the greeting to be held during dinner.

I slipped into my new dress, loving how it hugged my body. I added the necklace and earrings and twirled in front of the mirror.

“You look beautiful.” A voice said behind me. I spun around and saw Ryan leaning against the doorframe.

“Thank you.” I smiled.

“Red was always a lovely colour on you,” he said, coming closer. He was wearing a black suit with his sword strapped to his side. “You will be known for being the most beautiful and the kindest queen this land has even seen.” He pressed a soft kiss to my lips. “Come! We must greet our friends.” He held his arm out and I took it, letting him lead me to the great hall which served as a throne room as well as where the king held his feasts. As we entered the hall, the king and queen bowed their heads slightly to us in greeting while the staff of the castle did full bows. Ryan and I took our places beside the thrones.

The room had been set up for great feasts like this one could be held in the same room as the throne. The thrones were set to the very back of the room and while most kings had theirs raised above so they looked down on everyone, Geoff had it so he could stay eye level with his subjects. He thought that was how it should be done. Make them feel like they are as important as anyone else. Also, with the thrones set at ground level, the tables could easily fit right in front of them.

“King Jack of the Mountain Kingdom has arrived.” Someone announced. The huge double doors at the end of the hall opened up and King Jack strode in. He was a larger man with a bushy auburn beard. His wife, Caiti, looked so small in comparison to him. They both had kind faces and both were dressed in the finest of clothes. Their daughter, Meg, came trailing in behind them, looking around in awe. When they approached the throne, all three of them bowed in respect but Geoff broke that when he went running to his old friend and gave him a huge bear hug.

“Ah Jack! It’s great to see you buddy!” Geoff said, standing back.

“Same to you.” Jack replied.

“Caiti, as lovely as ever.” Geoff turned towards Meg. “And this must be your daughter.” Meg had bright red hair and glowing blue eyes. While Geoff and Griffon caught up with the newcomers, Meg wandered over to where Ryan and I stood.

“Prince Ryan.” Meg bowed, casting her eyes up so she could peer at him through her eyelashes. She smiled a little bit, trying to flirt with him.

“Princess Meg.” Ryan said stiffly. She noticed the coldness in his voice and frowned but said nothing.

“You must be Anna.” Meg turned to me.

“Yes, Your Highness. It is a great pleasure to meet you.” I curtseyed.

“Oh please! Call me Meg! Everyone else does,” She smiled. “I just wanted to let you know that there will always be a place in the castle for you, after Ryan and I are married. It’ll be like we’re sisters!” I had to bite my lip from saying anything.

“Alright! Let’s get everything set up!” Geoff called. “The others will be arriving soon!” The staff got to it, bringing in the tables and setting them up. As they did that, Geoff led our small party for a walk around the gardens, wanting to get some fresh air before dinner. The two kings talked about the borders and the other kingdoms that we were in alliance with. Apparently a war was brewing between the Rose Kingdom and the Roosters Kingdom. Meg, wanting to get to know Ryan a bit more, tried to link arms with him but he sped up his pace and instead wrapped an arm around me. I glanced up at him and shook my head at how childish he was being. Just as we were nearing the middle of the garden, Ryan let me go and ran ahead to his father.

“He doesn’t like me, does he?” Meg asked, coming up beside me.

“He’s just…He wanted to choose who he married. Not be forced into it. He’s a sweet guy, really. He just hates feeling out of control.” I replied. I could see Ryan talking to Geoff and wondered what he was saying. I didn’t have to wait long since Geoff stopped all of us.

“Ryan apparently has something to say.” Geoff announced, turning to his son.

“King Jack,” Ryan turned towards him. “I want our kingdoms to be friends for many years. I want there to be no qualms between us no matter what. I want to strengthen our alliance to help further our people.”

“I would like that too Ryan.” Jack replied, wondering where Ryan was going with this.

“However I cannot do this by marrying your daughter.” Ryan said. I stood there, frozen in fear, as I realised what he was about it say.

“Ryan? What is the meaning of this?” Geoff demanded.

“I am sorry. I would like to find another way to keep things together. But you see, I have already been promised to someone else,” Ryan turned towards me and held out his hand. I slowly walked up to him and took his hand. “Father, mother. Anna and I are married. I have chosen her to be my queen and I refuse to lie to Jack about this. Meg seems like a wonderful girl but I cannot and will not betray my heart.” Everyone stood there in silence for a moment. I could see Geoff’s face turning red in anger. The others were shocked, but I could see understanding in Jack’s eyes.

“James!” Geoff yelled, using Ryan’s real name. “How dare you go against me! And you!” He pointed at me and I cowered at Ryan’s side. “You’re lucky if I don’t try you for treason against the crown!”

“Treason?!” Ryan cried. “How is it treason?”

“She knows the law and she willingly broke it. A prince is to marry a princess. Not some common girl!” Geoff yelled for the guards. “Take her to her room and make sure she does not leave.”

“No!” Ryan drew his sword and pushed me behind him, protecting me from the others. “You will not touch her.” He growled.

“How dare you raise your sword to the king!” Geoff yelled. The guards rushed in and quickly over powered Ryan, pulling me away from him.

“No!” I screamed. They dragged me back into the castle and to my room, throwing me inside. I landed on the floor hard, scraping my hands and tearing my dress. The door locked behind me and I sat there for a moment, tears flowing down my face. I heard more yelling from something a door slamming. It went quiet then. I got up off the floor and made my way to my bed, collapsing on it. After a few moments I heard the lock on my door click and Geoff came storming into the room.

“So,” he said, staring down at me. “After all that I’ve done, this is how you repay me. You betray my trust, bewitch my son and have probably broken an alliance between Jack and myself.”

“No, please. You don’t understand-”

“Silence!” He thundered. “Obviously you are too much of a distraction to the prince. Don’t think I haven’t noticed the looked you two give each other. You’ve grown much too close for my tastes. I had hoped it would die down as you two got older but it seems I should have nipped this long ago. I owe your father a great deal so I shall be merciful.”

“Your Majesty?” I asked.

“The normal procedure for treason is death,” Geoff stated. “However. Instead of this you will be banished from the kingdom and you are to never return.”

“No…”

“I want you gone by morning. And don’t even think of going to see Ryan. As soon as your things are packed take your horse and leave. Quietly.” With that, King Geoff strode out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Banishment. The king’s ward, banished. It felt like someone had hit me in the stomach. Looking around my room, at all the memories I had of the castle, I felt as if time had stopped. Slowly, I changed into my riding clothes and started to pack my belongings. It didn’t take long and soon I was being escorted to the stables where my horse, Amber, waited. I saddled her up and strapped my bag to her. Once I was outside the castle walls, I cast one last glance back. My home now looked cold and uninviting. With tears falling, I headed down the road, unsure of where it would lead me.


	2. Changing Winds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna is notified that things have very much changed in her old kingdom and now seeks the help of the other five kings. Upon arrival, she is shocked at the state of everything and is determined to find out what is going on.

I woke up to sunlight streaming through my window. It had been nine years since I had been banished from Geoff’s Kingdom and I often found myself wondering how it was doing. King Ray of the Rose Kingdom had welcomed me with open arms when I came to his door, offering a room in his castle. He and his queen, Tina, had comforted me at the news of Ryan’s marriage to Meg, both of them knowing my love for him. The night I came riding into Ray’s kingdom was the night of his coronation. I had stumbled into the town, starving and tired, hoping to find a place at the inn. Just before the ceremony had started, Ray had been walking around the town, all the town’s people eagerly waiting for him in the castle, and had found me. At once I was whisked away to the castle, given food and a room to stay in. When the ceremony was over, Ray came to my room, demanding to know why I had been cast aside. When I told him what happened he swore he would have Geoff reconsider. Geoff’s response was to break off all contact with Ray, ending their alliance. The only way we knew about anything going on in Geoff’s kingdom was through Michael, who ruled the Kingdom of Bears. Michael was more loyal to Ray than Geoff so he often shared any gossip that was floating around. However, hearing about it wasn’t enough. I wanted to see my childhood home again.

I got up and stretched, putting on a light green dress and brushed my hair back. Ray’s kingdom was warmer then Geoff’s and my entire wardrobe had to be redone to suit it. I didn’t mind though. Ryan’s ring still sat on my finger. I refused to take it off. It was the only thing I had left of him, besides the dress he had given me, which I had the seamstress in Ray’s castle fix.

The Rose Kingdom, so named because of all the wild roses that bloomed everywhere, was a beautiful place. Rolling hills stretching as far as the eye could see. To honour the roses that basically ran the kingdom, Ray had fashioned a new throne after the passing of his parents, one that had roses carved into the dark wood. Vines climbed the outside of the castle and on the houses of the town but nobody seemed to mind.

“My lady,” a knock on the door came. “The King and Queen await you for breakfast.”

“Coming!” I called. I left my room and made my way to the dining hall. Beautiful paintings of landscapes lined the walls, some even showing the coast, which was part of Michael’s kingdom. When I entered the hall, I was greeted by the smells of delicious food. Eggs, bacon, pancakes, sausages, toast and various jams were spread along the table.

“Ah! There she is!” Ray greeted.

“Your Majesties.” I greeted.

“Oh please Anna,” Tina scolded. “No need for such formalities. We are your friends! Call us by name.” We began breakfast, making small talk as we ate. Ray and Tina were planning on going out to the town to see the people later that day and invited me along. They did that every once and a while, wanting to talk to the people in their own homes. It proved how humble of a king Ray was. Most kings would laugh at the idea of making the people feel worth something and yet Ray, Jack, Michael, Gavin and Geoff did it. They were good to their people, actually listening to the worries they had and helping out any way they could.

There was a knock at the door and a maid stepped into the room, hurrying over to Ray.

“A letter, my king. From the Kingdom of Edgar.” She said. My head shot up at the mention of my home, my eyes meeting Ray’s in confusion.

“I’ll take it. Thank you,” Ray said. He opened the letter and began to read it aloud. “My dearest friends. I welcome you to come join in the celebration of my coronation as King. The ceremony will be held two weeks from now. There are plenty of rooms in the castle and the food and drink is endless. Come, and join me in a most merry time. With regards, Mad King.”

“Mad King?” I repeated. “Who is that?”

“I don’t know. But I have a bad feeling,” Ray replied. “If you ladies will forgive me I must contact the other Kings.” Ray left, heading for his study.

“You don’t think…” I started but Tina cut me off.

“No. Nothing bad happened. They are all fine. It might be just a joke Ryan is playing because we’re all such close friends.” I wanted to believe her, but even Tina looked uncertain.

 

The other kings gathered at Ray’s castle, all of them having gotten the same letter from whoever this Mad King was. We all stood in the throne room, Ray pacing back and forth, trying to figure things out.

“Nobody has heard anything? They haven’t…gotten threats or letters of this kind?” Ray asked. Everyone said no.

“Wait. I may have heard something,” Michael said. “One of my tradesmen, who I send out to do business with all of you, was talking to a maid. Said that the whole kingdom was run down now. When he got to the castle, he never saw the king or the queen. Said that everyone was tight lipped about what was going on.”

“And you didn’t think to mention this until now?” Jack demanded.

“Well I’m sorry! I thought they were going through some hard times! I didn’t think…Look all I know is that there is apparently someone new who is going to be calling himself king. I’m just as worried as you are about Geoff.” Michael huffed.

“What about your daughter Jack?” Ray asked.

“She’s at home. She came for a visit a few weeks ago but when I got this letter, I didn’t let her go back.” Jack replied.

“We need to go then!” Gavin yelled. “We need to confront this fake and demand to know where the royal family is!”

“We can’t just go barging in! Who knows what this loonie is capable of?” Ray shook his head.

“We won’t then,” I spoke up. All of them turned to me. “All of you got invitations. You’ve been invited to go to the castle. No barging in needed. Just walk in. Right up to him. He’ll think it’s a greeting.” They were all silent.

“Remind me again why she was kicked out of Geoff’s kingdom?” Michael said, turning to the others.

“Alright, then it’s settled. In two weeks’ time we go and confront this man.” Jack decreed. Ray invited the others to stay the night, which they all accepted, and everyone left the room. I caught up with Ray and pulled him aside.

“I know what you’re going to say,” I started. “I can’t go because it’ll be too dangerous. But Ray please, I have to see for myself. I need to make sure they’re alright.”

“Anna, Anna. Calm down,” Ray put his hands on my shoulders. “I wasn’t going to deny you the right to come with us. This is your home we are talking about. Plus, I want you there. You are smart and brave and have more kindness in your heart than anyone I’ve ever met. You offer amazing advice and out of all of us, you know those hallways better. It’ll be easier for us, in case a quick escape is needed.”

“Okay.” I nodded.

“Okay. Now, forgive me but I must go. There are things I need to take care of.” Ray bowed and swept away. Two weeks. I had two weeks to wait and see what was going on. Those two weeks were going to be the longest of my life.

 

Finally we were on our way. Ray, Tina and I sat upon our horses, a carriage behind us with our things. The road from Ray’s kingdom to The Kingdom of Edgar was not long. Actually, besides Jack, Ray was the closest, making our journey only a day and a half long. When we finally crossed the borders, I could see the change immediately. Geoff had towns right on the edge of the borders, so that travelers wouldn’t have to go far to get a good night’s rest on their way in. However, what had once been bright and cheery with people all over the place was now empty. I pulled my cloak tighter around me as I watched the buildings go by. Some were completely burned to the ground while others were boarded up. Only a handful of people walked around but they hid when we came near. I caught glimpses of them though and it was horrible. Faces drawn, clothes turned to rags and they all looked like they were starving.

“What happened here?” I whispered.

“The Mad King.” Ray replied grimly. We hurried our horses, wanting to get to the castle as quickly as possible. Every town we passed on the way looked the same; empty, cold and completely destroyed.

“I can’t take this,” I said, and got off my horse, approaching an elderly woman. “Ma’am?” She looked up at me, fear in her eyes. “Oh no please, don’t be scared. I’m not going to hurt you. Please, can you tell me what’s happened?”

“Oh my dear, you’d best leave this cursed land.” The lady shook her head.

“Please. I used to live here. What’s happened? Everything…it’s so different.”

“The Mad King. He came. He came and destroyed it all,” the lady replied. “Demanding taxes left and right. If we couldn’t pay, we were punished. He’s bled us all dry.”

“Who is he?” Ray asked, coming up beside me.

“He used to be such a sweet young boy. Always so kind to everyone. We all had high hopes. But then his father, that wretched man, poisoned the poor boy. Now he’s gone insane. Gone insane and plans to take us all down with him.” The woman had a faraway look in her eyes.

“Here.” I took some money out of my coin purse and handed it to her. I then went over to the carriage and pulled out some food we had for the journey and also gave it to her.

“Bless you child.” The woman patted my cheek before shuffling off into a rundown house.

“Come Anna. We must get to the castle now.” Ray and I turned back to our horses and jumped up.

“Who was she talking about?” Tina asked.

“I don’t know. But whoever it is, the people here knew him and knew him well.” Ray replied. After another half hour we finally made it to the castle walls. Jack and Gavin were there as well, waiting. As soon as Caiti saw me, she came rushing over and swept me into a hug.

“Oh Anna,” she cried. “This must be terrible for you. Why did you come?”

“I had to.” I replied.

“It’s as bad as we thought.” Jack said as a greeting.

“How’d you get here so fast Gav?” Ray asked.

“I made my way to Jack’s the night before he left and joined him.” Gavin explained. Gavin’s kingdom was right next to Jack’s with the furthest tip touching The Kingdom of Edgar. Coming from his castle it would have taken three days but cutting across Jack’s kingdom, it cut that time by a lot.

“When’s Michael getting here?” Ray asked.

“He should be here within the hour. Come, we must present ourselves now.” Jack said. We through the castle gates and into the town that looked…exactly as I remembered. There were people doing their day to day jobs or looking around the market, the houses were all well-kept, everything was clean.

“What the fuck…” Jack whispered. We rode up to the castle doors and were greeted by the guard. They called for someone to take our horses, promising our things would be in our rooms, and led us inside. Whoever had decorated had outdone themselves for the ceremony. Garland hung low on the ceiling in gold, red and silver. In the middle of the entrance hall stood a huge tower of gold, sitting on a base of obsidian.

“Shall I announced your arrival to the king?” A servant came up to ask.

“Please.” Jack replied.

“Is there somewhere we can wait?” Ray asked.

“Yes! Please follow me,” The servant led us to a side room where a table of food sat waiting. “Help yourself to anything. The king will be here soon.” They left, closing the door behind them.

“Think it’s poisoned?” Gavin asked.

“I don’t really want to find out.” Ray replied. We all stood there, awkwardly waiting for the king.

“Anna, your hood is still up.” Tina commented.

“I don’t know why but I feel safer like this.” I replied, casting my eyes down. It was true. My hood offered some sort of protection, even though I didn’t know what kind of protection the flimsy black material could have.

“Well, let’s just hope this maniac doesn’t take offense to it.” Jack said. Suddenly very loud footsteps could be heard.

“Jesus Christ.” Ray muttered.

“We’re all gonna die.” Gavin squawked.

“No we’re not.”

“Shut up guys.” Caiti warned as the steps got closer. We all held our breath as the door knob turned and the servant slipped in again.

“Presenting his Royal Highness, King Ryan.” He declared. I felt my eyes go wide. Ryan? Ray turned to look at me and I shook my head. It must be a different one. There were a lot of people named Ryan. However when the king stepped through the door I felt my heart sink. While time had made some changes on his face, he was still the Ryan I remembered. There was a small gruff of beard starting and his hair had gone a bit fluffier but those were the same piercing blue eyes he had when we were teenagers. A scar now ran just under his eye, the skin white and smooth.

“Friends!” Ryan greeted. “Welcome! I am so glad you were able to make it.” I kept my face down, not wanting him to notice me. The hood was big enough that even looking up half of my face was covered but I didn’t want to take the chance.

“Ryan,” Jack greeted. “What’s been going on? Where’s Geoff?”

“Oh I thought Meg had told you.” Ryan said, concerned.

“Told me what?”

“Sadly my father has passed away,” Ryan replied. “He died about a few months ago.” I held back a gasp. Dead?

“And you never sent anything out?” Jack demanded.

“I did! I wrote to you the day of his passing. I…I thought you had gotten it,” Ryan seemed confused. “Really and truly I don’t understand what has happened.”

“Please, may I see where he is buried?” Jack asked quietly.

“Of course.” Ryan replied. The servant who had welcomed us escorted Jack and Caiti out. Ryan turned to Ray, Gavin and Tina. I was currently hidden behind Tina who had stepped in front of me as soon as Ryan walked in.

“What was up with that letter you sent out? ‘Mad King’? The fuck man?” Ray asked.

“Yeah. It concerned us a lot.” Gavin added.

“Oh that. It’s just a silly nickname the people have given me. I’ve taken quite a liking to it though.” Ryan replied, smiling.

“And what about the people?” Tina spoke up. “The towns we passed are in ruins!”

“That…that was my fault. We’ve run into some hard times and I’ve had to raise the taxes on some things but as for the destruction…bandits. Rouges. It’s come to hard times. People have resorted to stealing,” Ryan was lying. I was always able to tell when he did that. “Tina, dear, who is that hiding behind you?”

“My sister.” She replied.

“Forgive me for saying so but it’s considered rude to hide your face in the presence of royalty.” Ryan said.

“She’s been horribly scared. When we were younger there was an accident and the result was…rather bad. She’s self-conscious of it.” Tina explained.

“Ah. Forgive me, my lady,” Ryan bowed to me. “Come! I must show you your rooms!” Ray and Gavin shared a look but followed, with Tina and myself close behind.

“Thank you,” I whispered to her. She gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. It felt weird, being in my childhood home where everything seemed the same but different.

“Dinner will be held in the great hall tonight,” Ryan talked as we headed up to our rooms. “I’ll send someone an hour before to remind you. You have free roam of the castle and please do not be afraid to ask the servants or me for anything. You are my guests. My home is your home.” He showed Gavin his room first, before moving onto Ray and Tina’s. My room was just down the hall from them. I was quiet the whole time, keeping my face hidden. I could tell Ryan was sneaking glances at me but I didn’t dare try to do the same. “Here you are, my lady.” He said. I nodded my head in thanks and quickly slipped into the room, closing the door on his face. I turned and faced the room. It was my old room, everything exactly as I remembered it. Tears sprang to my eyes as I slid down the door and landed on the ground with a thud.

“What has happened to you?” I whispered. “Ryan…” Whatever it was caused a change in him that was so great, I knew he wasn’t the same man that I had been torn away from. His eyes held something darker, a chaotic glee. I had to get to the bottom of that and the only way I knew how was by asking those who working in the castle. So, gathering my courage, I headed back out and went in search of someone I knew would have the answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa nelly. I got things happening in this fic that are gonna blow your mind. Get ready!


	3. Home Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna wants to know what has happened since she left and the story...isn't what she was expecting.

In the highest tower of the castle lived Geoff’s most trusted scholar. Hoping Ryan hadn’t gotten rid of him, I knocked on the door and waited.

“Yes! Yes! Come in please come in!” A voiced called. I opened the door and was welcomed by the familiar smell of old parchment and ink. Overstuffed shelves lined the room, a gigantic globe stood in one corner and the entire floor was a collage of famous scholarly quotes.

“Sir Heyman?” I called, lowering my hood.  

“My stars…I haven’t heard that voice in years,” Joel Heyman came out of a backroom, his white robe brushing the floor. Joel was the same as ever. Black hair going every which way and bags under his eyes from staying up way too late studying. “Anna. Oh Anna! Dearest, sweet Anna.” He swept me up into a hug, crushing me against him. “Nine years. For nine years I prayed for the day that I would see your smiling face again. But under these circumstances…not what I wanted.”

“What has happened here?” I asked quietly. Joel brought me over to his desk and sat me in the chair across from him.

“After you left, Ryan went insane. He would throw tantrums so big that he broke everything in the room. Eventually Geoff locked him up, giving the guise that he was sick. The princess Meg only stayed for formality but when Geoff died she quickly packed up and left. She and Ryan could never marry because of…well…” Joel gestured to my hand.

“Because he was already married to me.” I said.

“Exactly. Geoff tried to get them to at least produce an heir but Meg would have none of it, claiming her child would not be a bastard. Eventually, Geoff started to use other methods on Ryan. Small poisons that affected the mind. It became too much for the prince,” Joel shook his head. “One morning we found Geoff, dead. Passed it off as an assassination but I could see the look in Ryan’s eyes.”

“Why would he give his own son poison?!” I cried.

“To quiet him down,” Joel replied. “To try and see if perhaps it would burn away the memory of you. I cannot say for certain but from what I had gathered, Geoff only wanted what was right for himself and not Ryan.

“What about Griffon?” I asked.

“Fled back home. Too scared to stay, worried she was next,” Joel replied. “Does he know you’re here?”

“No. He thinks I’m Queen Tina’s sister who was horribly scared and doesn’t want to show her face because of it.” I said.

“If I were you, I’d let him know. He is not the same prince you once knew,” Joel warned.

“What do you mean?” I asked, leaning in closer as Joel’s voice went quiet.

“To cope with the pain the poison kept putting him through, and the pain of losing you, Ryan developed…another half,” Joel began. “True, the parts you remember are still there but the other half of him now, the one who killed King Geoff…he is known as the Mad King. He is dangerous, his temper often leaving those who have angered him dead. This Mad King is a madman and he has turned Ryan into a monster. Anna, with you being here, it may help some but then again it may not. I’ve overheard Ryan talking to this Mad King, often times about you. I fear you might be in danger now.”

“So he is like two people then…” I said slowly.

“Something like that,” Joel nodded. “You know…he was planning on going to find you. Personally. He had picked a few of the guards to go with him.”

“And it seems as though that plan is no longer needed.” I froze in fear as his voice wrapped around me, as warm and sweet as honey.

“Your Majesty.” Joel got up and bowed. I slowly turned and met his gaze, his eyes having lost the coldness from earlier.

“Anna.” Ryan breathed. I felt my heart quicken. In fear or love I didn’t know.

“How long have you been standing there?” I asked quietly.

“Long enough,” Ryan shrugged. “I had come to ask Joel something but…I think that can wait for now. Walk with me?” I hesitated a moment before getting up and following him out of the room. I cast a quick glance at Joel who gave me a worried look but said nothing. Ryan and I walked in silence for a moment. I was trying to collect my thoughts. What Joel had told me…it was absolutely terrifying. Two completely different sides to Ryan, one who was extremely dangerous too. As I was lost in thought Ryan grabbed my hand and yanked me into a room, slamming the door behind us. Before I could say anything he crushed me to his chest, hugging me tightly.

“Ryan…?” I hesitantly put my arms around him.

“I have missed you so much,” Ryan said into my hair. “I’ve waited for nine years…and now you’re finally here. Why didn’t you say anything? Why did you lie?”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I was scared. When we heard of a new king we thought you were dead but then you walked into the room to greet us and I was shocked. I wasn’t expecting to see you. None of us were. The lie…that wasn’t my idea. Tina was just trying to buy me time while I processed things.”

“But why go straight to Joel? Why not come find me?” He let go and stood back, looking hurt.

“Because you weren’t…you,” I said lamely. “You seemed cold. I had heard stories, on the journey here, about who took over the throne. I didn’t want them to be true but…”

“But they are true,” Ryan said quietly, turning away from me. “What Joel said…about there being two halves of me now…it’s true. I’m still me, really I am. I just have a stronger part. A better part. One who can stand up to those who deny us. It’s also true that he is a very dangerous man. But I would never hurt you Anna.”

“What’s been happening around the kingdom?” I asked. “The towns look deserted and run down. The people are starving.”

“That was something I didn’t foresee,” Ryan admitted. “When my father died, the money died with him. I’ve had to raise taxes to keep trade open.”

“Why didn’t you tell the others? Surely King Jack would have-”

“He would not allow it,” Ryan said. “He saw it as weak. To ask for help…he forbid me from it.”

“He?”

“The Mad King,” Ryan replied. “All of this is his doing. I wanted no part of it. My father, the towns, this ceremony.” Ryan said the last word with such venom and hatred. “This was all him. The only reason I went along with it was because…”

“Because…?”

“You,” Ryan turned back around to face me. “He did this all for you. He wanted to meet you, to get you back. He knew you wouldn’t pass up the chance to come back, banishment or not. He’s never even met you and yet he loves you.”

“Because he is you,” I insisted.

“Did you know that’s he’s always been there, in the back of my mind? My entire life?” Ryan said, ignoring me. “Always there, making comments about what was going on but never fully…coming out. It was usually when I was alone. He’d talk to me, and I would talk back.” I remembered then how sometimes you could hear Ryan’s voice from his room, asking himself questions and answering them, or just talking. I had brushed it off, thinking it was only him thinking out loud.

“So what made him take form?” I asked.

“I’m not sure. We haven’t been able to pin it on anything. I guess you could say it was the act of you leaving, father turning abusive and being fed poisons daily,” Ryan shrugged. “Are you scared?” He asked suddenly, watching me closely.

“Of you? No. Of this apparently psychotic other half? Maybe,” I sighed. “I don’t know what to think Ryan. I come back and you’ve gone completely around the bend.” Sadness started filling his features and my heart broke. “But, I still love you. I’ll love you no matter what and I’m going to stay by your side.” I said quietly, taking his hands in mine.

“Really? Even after everything you’ve heard?” He asked.

“Yeah,” I replied, smiling. Instead of saying anything Ryan brought his lips down to mine, giving me a searing kiss. His thumbs brushed over my fingers but paused when he hit my ring. Glancing down, he smiled, bringing the ring up to the light.

“You kept it,” he whispered. “After all these years.”

“Well…yeah,” I said, blushing. “I’m still your wife, am I not?”

“Yes,” Ryan smiled. “Yes you are. My beautiful wife. And I was wondering…if my beautiful wife will join me tonight when we go to bed.” Ryan blushed and I couldn’t help but giggle. “Nothing would happen! I just…I just got you back. I don’t want to be away from you even for a few minutes.”

“Okay,” I agreed. “But now I must go get ready for dinner. I highly doubt my riding clothes are anywhere near appropriate.”

“Yes and you have been riding a long time, you must want to freshen up a bit,” Ryan laughed. “I shall see you at dinner then, my love.” He kissed me softly before letting me go. As I walked back to my room I figured everyone had been over exaggerating. Ryan was still the same as he always was. Maybe this Mad King was really nothing to worry about.

 

A servant came and told me dinner would be soon. I thanked him and changed into a deep red dress, knowing that Ryan would love it. I brushed my hair back and added some makeup before deeming myself presentable and heading out. I met Ray and Tina at their door and we made our way to the dining hall.

“No cloak?” Tina asked.

“He knows,” I replied. “He found out almost as soon as we got here.”

“It’s probably for the best,” Ryan commented. “Had you kept hidden any longer he might have been angry.” We met the others just outside the hall, all gathering around King Michael and Lindsay who had just arrived.

“So, Mad King is actually Prince Ryan,” Michael said when we approached. “This is going to be fun.”

“Have you seen the state of the villages?” Lindsay asked. “It’s horrible!”

“Hush, let us not talk about this within his walls,” Jack said, opening the hall doors. It was empty and we all quickly found ourselves a seat. I sat closest to the front, knowing that Ryan would want me there. Speaking of which, just as we sat down Ryan strode into the hall, having changed from his earlier clothes into something grander. He wore a kilt and a black suit top with a blood red cape flowing behind him.

“Friends!” He greeted when he reached the head of the table. “Please join me in this feast tonight!” Food was brought out then and soon the table was filled. I felt my hand being lifted and I looked over to see Ryan raising it to his lips. “You look beautiful.” He whispered. There was something different about him. I couldn’t quite tell what it was until I looked at his eyes. They were cold and hard, no emotion showing through them. This wasn’t Ryan. This was the Mad King.

“So, Ryan,” Michael began. “Or should I call you by Mad King now?”

“Either is fine,” Ryan leaned away from me and looked at Michael. “I am called both by everyone else.”

“Does that make Meg your Mad Queen then?” Michael, Lindsay and Gavin didn’t know the truth. They were never told why I was banished from the kingdom in the first place.

“No,” Ryan replied. “It makes Anna my Mad Queen.” Michael spit his wine out, glancing between us. Lindsay and Gavin looked equally shocked as well.

“Excuse me?!” He yelled. “You two were married and I was never invited to the wedding? Rude!”

“Is that why you were banished?” Lindsay asked me. I nodded.

“Who else knew?!” Gavin demanded.

“Jack and Caiti,” Ryan shrugged. “They were there when I made the announcement.”

“We know too,” Ray spoke up. “Anna told us when she first arrived but asked it be kept secret until…well whenever would have been a good time to say.”

“On her deathbed probably,” Michael scoffed. “Knowing Geoff he probably threatened her to keep it hidden.”

“Well he’s no longer an issue now,” Ryan said coldly.

“So does that mean Anna has to do the ceremony too?” Gavin asked.

“I-” I actually hadn’t thought about that. To become queen I would most definitely have to go through with it. However, the people may not approve of a non-royal taking the throne. A lot of those in Geoff’s kingdom were stuck on the old ways.

“Of course she will,” Ryan said. “That is, if she still wishes to rule by my side?” All eyes turned to me and I felt heat rising to my face.

“Aw look at her,” Ray laughed. “She’s embarrassed!”

“Get used to it kid,” Jack said. “From now on all eyes will be on you.”

“Wait, hold up a second,” Michael interrupted. “Jack you knew this whole time that they were married. How did you not have a major freak out when your daughter was rejected?”

“To be perfectly honest, Meg never wanted to marry Ryan,” Jack explained. “And I always knew those two were in love.” He shot Ryan and I a fond look. “I was more happy than angry that day.”

“To true love!” Ray raised his glass. The others followed.

“Oh God. We’re a bunch of saps!” Michael groaned. The rest of dinner went by rather happily. Everyone made jokes and told stories although during Michael’s stories about how Gavin messed something up badly, Gavin would jump in claiming it wasn’t true and start telling his version of it.

When we were all full on both food and wine, Ryan bid everyone goodnight. We all got up and I was about to follow the others out when my hand was grabbed. Ryan spun me around so I faced him and pinned me between the table and him.

“You never answered my question,” he purred, resting his hands on my waist. “Do you still wish to be my queen?” It was still the Mad King in control and his grip was rather tight on me.

“Yes,” I breathed. His face was mere inches from mine, his eyes staring intently, as if searching for something.

“Good,” he crushed his lips to mine, nipping at my bottom lip before pulling away. “See you tonight.” He whispered before pulling away and leaving the room. I stood there for a moment, taking a deep breath, before heading to my room to change. I had brought a nightgown with me, the material soft and silky. It was a dark blue and fell just below my knees. It was perfect for the warmer climate in Ray’s kingdom but here I could already feel the cold seeping into me. I threw on a robe, hoping it would warm me up, when a knock on the door sounded. I went and opened it, finding a maid outside waiting for me.

“I’m to take you to King Ryan’s room,” she said quietly. “If you would.” She motioned me to follow her so I did. She led me down a hallway to the master bedroom. She bowed and quickly scurried off. Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Ryan called. I opened the door and slipped inside to find him lighting a fire. He looked up to me and smiled, his eyes warm and inviting. “Anna.” He got up and wrapped me in his arms, placing a soft kiss on my lips. The room had been decorated with some…questioning colours. The drapes were heavy and the colour of midnight, keeping all light out of the room. The bed was blood red, the sheets and comforter as well as the pillows. The four poster bed had a canopy that was also black. A plush fur carpet was laid out beside the fire with it too being…wait for it…black.

“You must give me the name for your decorator,” I said, my eyes roaming around the room.

“Yes,” Ryan winced. “It is a bit…dreary is it not? Not my idea, of course, but what can you do when half of your mind is stronger than you.” He sighed.

“Maybe I could change his mind,” I suggested.

“I highly doubt it,” Ryan shook his head. “He won’t listen to anyone, even if it was you. Why do you think the kingdom is the way it is now? He’s too stubborn.”

“Reminds me of someone,” I giggled. Ryan stuck his tongue out at me. Despite the fire a chill swept over me, making me bring the robe tighter around me.

“Are you cold?” He asked.

“A little. All of my clothes are made for warmer climates. I had almost forgotten how cold the nights get here,” I admitted, blushing slightly.

“Well, we have a nice fire going,” Ryan said, leading me to the bed. “And we have each other to help keep us warm.” He allowed me to crawl under the sheets before going to the other side. He pulled me into his arms and I laid my head on his chest, listening to his heart beat.

“I’ve missed you,” I whispered. “There wasn’t a day where I didn’t think of you. I wished that there had been some way for us to communicate.” Ryan’s hold tightened on me, his hand gently stroking my hair.

“We don’t have to think about that now,” Ryan said. “You’re here and we’re together. Two days from now we’ll both be crowned the rulers of this kingdom and the years we spent apart will be forgotten.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Get some sleep, love. You’re probably tired from your journey.” I closed my eyes and listened to his heart beat, the rhythm soothing. I soon found myself falling asleep, in the warm embrace of Ryan’s arms, and for once I was happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When it comes to the Mad King part of Ryan I always see it as a split personality. I mean...it makes sense since he can go from really cute and loving to cutting your head off in one blow.


	4. We Rule Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna and Ryan prepare for the ceremony which would allow them to become King and Queen of the kingdom. But is Anna ready to preform one particular royal duty?

When I awoke, Ryan was gently stroking my arm, tracing patterns on the skin. His lips played in my hair, gentle kisses placed wherever he could reach. We were pressed together, our legs tangled up, and I opened my eyes slowly, not wanting to break the moment. Sunlight was trying to poke through the heavy curtains, little rays hitting the floor in front of it. The fire was still going strong and I had a feeling Ryan got up at some point to add more wood. I sighed and pressed further back, just content to lay in bed all morning, until I heard a dark chuckle coming from the man behind me.

“Hello, darling.” The coldness of his voice made my eyes shoot open again. It was the Mad King.

“Ryan?” I asked slowly, just to be sure.

“Try again sweetheart,” The Mad King whispered, lips traveling down to my neck. My heartbeat started racing as his lips traced my shoulder. “I’ve wanted to see you for a very long time. His memories aren’t good enough.” The hand on my arm slipped under the sheets and rested on my hip, massaging gently. “You’d think that having a husband with two sides would scare you off.” He said randomly, flipping me over so he could look at me.

“Well I haven’t really gotten to meet this side so we’ll just have to see,” I declared. The Mad King smirked.

“Same as always,” he purred. “Never going down without a fight.” Slowly, almost as if he was waiting for me to push him away, he leaned down and pressed his lips softly to mine. He kissed me gently, his hand reaching up and cupping my face.

“You know,” I said once we broke away. “You aren’t like what people have been telling me.”

“Oh? And what have you heard?”

“That you killed Geoff and refused to ask for help from the others and that it led to the loss of money and the towns being turned to shambles.”

“Do you believe any of that?” He asked.

“I don’t know what to believe,” I answered. “Everything is so different now.” He was quiet for a moment, looking off into the distance. I took the time to study him. Honestly, if it wasn’t for his eyes I would have thought this was my Ryan. But Ryan’s eyes were a warm, clear blue. Mad King’s eyes were dark and stormy, glaring at everything they set upon. Even when he looked at me, while it was softer, the glare was always there. Mistrust was mixed in it too and I didn’t like that. It was worse when he looked at the other kings, like he thought all of them were going to turn on him. I reached up and touched his cheek, running my fingers over his skin. He seemed surprised by this, jumping away from me at first before nuzzling into my hand.

“You know, the night you were sent away, Ryan couldn’t control himself. He would go into fits of despair and would sit in his room staring at the wall for hours,” Mad King said. “Everybody says I showed up when Geoff started to poison us but that’s not true. In order to keep his mind somewhat intact I came out, keeping him under control for the most part. The princess Meg became frightened of us, of how we would lash out at her and how we blamed her for what happened with you.” He began kissing a trail from my palm up my arm, nibbling at the skin.

“It was no more her fault than it was yours,” I said. “She didn’t want the marriage either.” He began kissing the swells of my breasts, his tongue darting in between them. I gasped and arched up, earning a chuckle from him.

“I know what Ryan said,” Mad King whispered against my skin. “I will uphold that promise. I just want this to last a little longer.” He buried his face in my neck, nipping and kissing me. I wrapped my arms around him and held him tightly. There was a knock on the door and he went from loving to angry within seconds. With a snarl he jumped up and stormed over to the door, yanking it open.

“You dare disturb me?!” He yelled. “After I left detailed instructions to leave us be until I sent for something?!”

“I-I’m so sorry, sir!” A servant cowered under the Mad King’s glare. “The other kings wanted to hold a meeting! They asked for you to be there!”

“Tell them I will be there momentarily,” Ryan slammed the door and came back over to me. “It seems our time together keeps getting interrupted. Once everything settles down, I promise you and I will have all the time in the world to get…reacquainted.” His eyes traveled down my body and back up, a smirk forming on his lips. He leaned down and gave me one last kiss. It was harsh and hungry, unlike the softer kisses he had been giving me before. “You might as well go get changed. I highly doubt this meeting will be quick.” I got up and threw my robe on, going over to Ryan. He watched me as I stopped just in front of him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him gently. He froze for a moment before relaxing into the kiss, his arms wrapping around me and bringing me closer. When we parted it was Ryan’s eyes that I saw, the beautiful blues swimming in love and happiness.

“See you later?” I whispered.

“I will come for you,” he promised. I smiled and headed for my room, quickly changing into a dark purple dress. I clipped my hair back and headed out, going to the library. I remembered the path and I soon found myself surrounded by familiar books. Sighing in happiness, I chose an old favorite and began reading it again. I soon lost myself in the story, of how a brave young knight went to defend his home from a dragon. The dragon, having expected the knight, tried to trick him into believing that the dragon was the victim, claiming the king and queen had sent an army to torment the poor beast. The knight, being young and naïve, believed the dragon and tried to help him. It wasn’t until it was too late that the knight saw the dragon’s true colours and landed the killing blow, cutting the dragon’s head off. I was so wrapped up in the book I didn’t notice Ryan coming into the library until he was sitting down beside me.

“I knew I’d find you here,” he whispered, placing a kiss on my shoulder. “Are you still reading that same book?” He asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“It’s one of the greatest books I’ve ever read,” I declared. “Of course I am. How was the meeting?”

“Fun,” Ryan rolled his eyes. “They wanted to talk business with me.”

“Welcome to being king,” I giggled.

“Mm…I was hoping it’d be more exciting,” Ryan said. “You know, fighting monsters and stuff.”

“And stuff,” I shook my head.

“Have you eaten yet?” He asked.

“No actually…I kind of forgot to.”

“You forgot to eat?” Ryan smirked.

“I was preoccupied,” I held the book up.

“Come on,” Ryan stood up and held his hand out. I accepted it and he pulled me to my feet, leading me out of the room. We headed down to the kitchens where the cooks were busy making lunch.

“Your Highnesses,” they all greeted. It kind of took me by surprise when I was added in there but I would have to get used to it.

“Can you get us something light to eat?” Ryan asked. One of the chefs nodded and brought over a platter of different meats, cheeses and fruit. Ryan thanked the cook and brought it up to the garden. There were little tables set up out there so we could dine when the weather was nice. We sat down and I began nibbling on a slice of apple. “Just think,” Ryan said. “We can spend the rest of our lives like this.”

“I like that thought,” I smiled. “Ryan…what will I have to do for the ceremony?”

“Oh my God I completely forgot,” his eyes went wide. “I am so sorry. Of course you don’t know what to do. How could I forget?” He shook his head. “It’s simple, really. All we have to do is listen to the priest say some words, hold ancient relics that are passed down the royal bloodlines and then we receive our crowns.”

“And are they going to be prepared for two?” I asked. “It was sort of last minute.”

“Darling, I can assure you that everything will be perfect,” Ryan smiled. “We just have to look pretty and promise to safe guard the lands. Although…I’ve already failed at that haven’t I?” he sighed.

“With two of us ruling this kingdom will be back to the way it was in no time,” I promised.

“How will we get the money back?”

“The other kings will help.” Ryan went to say something but I held up my hand. “And don’t give me any excuses about the Mad King being too proud to ask. He will have to deal with it.”

“You’re pushing it woman,” the Mad King growled. “Don’t think because we’re married you get to call the shots.”

“You are such a child!” I rolled my eyes. “Honestly. You’re new to being king. Asking for help isn’t some form of damnation. It’s expected! And with no one here to show you how it’s done you are going to have to ask the others. Stop stroking your ego and deal with the fact that you don’t know what you’re doing.”

“You’re lucky I love you,” he grumbled, taking a bite of chicken. “How do you even know they will help me?”

“Because they are your friends and your allies,” I replied. “Jack has watched you grow up, Ray sees you like a brother and Gavin and Michael look up to you as a role model. They’re your family.” He was silent for a moment, staring at the flowers.

“Very well,” he sighed. “I shall talk to them after the ceremony tomorrow.” Mad King faded back, letting Ryan take control again.

“I have a feeling the two of you are going to be a handful,” I mused.

“Mmm…I’m so glad you love me enough to put up with it,” Ryan laughed.

 

The rest of the day went by rather quickly, everyone getting ready for the ceremony the next day. I decided to wear the dress Ryan had given me the day he announced our marriage. I had it fixed up when I got to Ray’s kingdom and the seamstress did an amazing job. I wanted to spend the night in Ryan’s room again but he insisted it would probably be better for us to be separate for the night otherwise the Mad King would keep me up. Not that it mattered since I couldn’t fall asleep anyways. I was nervous and excited. Tomorrow, everyone would know of our marriage and they would have a new king and queen.

Eventually sleep did claim me but it felt like I only slept for a few moments. A maid came and woke me just before dawn, helping me get ready for the ceremony. The dress still looked amazing, even after all these years. When it came time for the ceremony to begin, Ryan came to get me. He stopped when he saw me, his eyes raking over me. I had curled my hair and pulled in back in a clip so that the ringlets stayed out of my face. Red lipstick and blush was applied and the maid had even gone to put eye shadow on me, giving my eyes a dark and smoky look.

“I think I may skip the ceremony and claim you right here and now,” Ryan said, licking his lips.

“Come on husband,” I linked arms with him and pulled him to the great hall. “Our people await.” When we got to the doors, the guards standing there opened. The room was packed with nobles and even some of the common folk, all of them craning their necks to see. When they saw me, whispers moved around the room and I felt myself shrink back a little.

“No,” Ryan gripped my tighter, making me stand up straight. “You are to become queen. Don’t show any fear. I’m right here beside you.” He squeezed my hand. We started walking towards the priest, two crowns sitting side by side on an altar. The priest, I realised, was the one who performed the marriage ceremony for Ryan and I. He smiled warmly at me before turning to the crowns. He took Ryan’s first, a large gold crown with jewels set in it, and placed it on Ryan’s head. He then blessed Ryan and said a few words in Latin, handing him a scepter made of gold and rubies, before declaring him king. The priest then moved to me. My crown was small and delicate, diamonds and rubies hanging so they fit against my forehead. The gold band fit my head perfectly and I started wondering if Ryan had had it made before I left. I was handed a different scepter, this one being a smaller version of Ryan’s.

“I present to you Queen Anna.” Ryan took my hand and we turned to the crowd. They all stood up and bowed to us before clapping. The other kings and their queens were in the first row, watching fondly. Joel was off to the side and he gave me a reassuring smile when our eyes met. After the ceremony everyone gathered in the dining hall. Unending food and drinks were served, many nobles coming up to congratulate Ryan and comment on how beautiful I was.

“We never even knew you got married!” One noble said.

“Yes, we were wed a while ago. I wanted to keep it secret until now,” Ryan lied. “But I am lucky to have found her.” He gazed over at me and smiled, bringing my hand up to his lips and kissing the back of it.

“The two of you will birth the most beautiful children this land will ever see!” The noble’s wife said to me. Children? I hadn’t even thought of having a child. Even before I left, having children was never on my mind. But it was the royal duty…Ryan sensed my unease and sent the others away, his hand finding mine under the table. When dinner came to an end, Ryan stood up and called everyone’s attention.

“Friends,” he began. “I know things have been rough these past few months and I know I’ve failed many times in trying to take my father’s place but I promise that things will get better. Our kingdom will continue to be strong and we will rebuild this kingdom to be better for the future.” There was a moment of silence before everyone broke out in applause. Ryan then wrapped an arm around me and we left the hall. “I’m King.” Ryan breathed, closing his eyes.

“And it seems you are doing an excellent job of keeping everyone loyal to you,” I said.

“Yes…that was my main worry,” Ryan sighed. “After everything that has happened I was scared the people would reject me, try to drive me from the throne. But I will do as I promised and turn this kingdom around. And, as my first decree,” he swung me around so my back was up against the wall. “I want you in my room with this off.” He tugged at the dress, a hungry look in his eyes.

“Okay,” I whispered. He smirked and kissed me.

“I’ll see you in a few minutes then,” he said when he pulled away. He started walking down the hallway to his room and I headed to mine. My heart was fluttering in my chest. If what I thought was going to happen was actually going to happen…I bit my lip and hurried inside my room, removing my dress and putting on silk nightgown. I took my hair out of the clip, the curls cascading around my face, and headed for Ryan’s bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...um...they're uh...they're gonna...snuggle. Yeah. Snuggle. I also need to stop using the word 'duty' because I am a child and my mind is going places it shouldn't be :P Putting 'royal' in front of it is making it worse too


	5. What Should Have Been Our Wedding Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna and Ryan finally make their marriage official.

Ryan’s door was already open when I got there and I could hear voices from inside. I peeked my head inside and saw Ryan and the other kings.

“Why didn’t you come to us to begin with?” Jack asked.

“I thought I could get everything under control,” Ryan replied. “I was wrong.”

“That’s okay buddy!” Ray smiled and slapped his hand on Ryan’s back. “We got your back. Tomorrow, we’ll take a look at everything and help you sort it out.”

“And now I think we should leave,” Michael said. “Your wife is waiting.” Everyone turned to look at me and I felt a blush sweep up my face. Everyone filed out, Gavin and Ray giving me a wink. They closed the door behind them and then it was just Ryan and I. I fire was softly burning in the hearth and it lit the room in a warm glow. Ryan came over to me and placed his hands on my hips, pulling me closer to him.

“Hi,” he whispered, leaning down to press kisses along my jaw. My hands reached up and grabbed his arms.

“Hi,” I replied. He picked me up bridal style and carried me to the bed, gently placing me down.

“Is it alright if we…I…I would like us to…” Ryan struggled to find words, his face going red. “Can I make love to you?” He finally stuttered out.

“Yes,” I giggled at his embarrassment. Ryan captured my lips in a searing kiss, his hands going to the end of my nightgown and tugging it up. I sat up a bit so he could remove it and felt myself grow warm from his gaze.

“Beautiful,” he breathed, his fingertips lightly tracing my skin. He started kissing along my collarbone and neck, his hands roaming anywhere they could reach. I started tugging at his clothing and he helped me remove it. My breath caught in my throat as I gazed at the man before me. He leaned down again, except this time his lips brushed my breast, his tongue darting out to lick at my hardening nipple. I gasped as pleasure shocked through me, my hands weaving into Ryan’s hair. He nipped and licked at my skin, leaving small bite marks everywhere he could. He started to kiss a trail downwards, his mouth hovering just inches from my mound. I had no idea what he was going to do but when his tongue darted out and teasingly licked at me I threw my head back and moaned. He did that for a few moments before finally pressing his tongue against me. His finger poked at my entrance and slid in with ease, earning a groan from him.

“Already so wet for me,” he whispered against my skin. He started pumping his finger in and out of me, the feeling driving me crazy.

“Ryan,” I panted. He hummed against me, sending another shockwave of pleasure through my body. Fire raced through my veins and pooled in my stomach and I felt like something was about to burst inside me when Ryan suddenly pulled away. I whined at the loss of contact and looked down at Ryan who had a wicked grin on his face. He crawled back on top of me and slowly kissed me as he pushed my legs further apart and settled between them. Just as slowly, he pushed into me, thrusting his way inside. I bit back a gasp from the sudden pain, making Ryan pause for a moment to look down at me.

“I’m not hurting you too much am I?” He asked, worry filling his face. “I’ll go slower if it makes it better.”

“No, no. I’m okay,” I smiled up at him. “I just wasn’t expecting that.” Ryan nodded and started thrusting into me, his eyes closing as he groaned. The pain went away fairly quickly and was instantly replaced with pleasure. When Ryan was sure he wasn’t hurting me anymore he picked up the pace, grabbing the back of my knees and pulling them up so they wrapped around his waist. The new position caused him to go deeper into me and I clung to him tightly as I let out a very loud moan. The fire was back again, building up faster this time. Ryan reached between our bodies and slid his thumb across my sensitive nub, making me scream. Just as I tipped over the edge, Ryan followed, biting my neck. We lay there, panting, for a moment before Ryan carefully slid out of me and fell onto his side, pulling me to his chest.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Ryan asked once our breathing went back to normal.

“Yes,” I sat up on my elbow so I was looking down at him. “I promise you that I am alright.” Ryan nodded and pulled me down again, my head resting on his chest. We both dozed off soon after that, tired from the day’s events. However, I was awoken in the middle of the night by voices. Confused I lifted my head, noting that Ryan was still beside me and was sound asleep. The fire had died down, only the embers glowing faintly in the night. As quietly as I could I slipped out of bed and threw my robe on, padding over to the door. The voices were coming from right outside but were moving away. After I was certain they weren’t right outside anymore, I carefully opened the door and slipped through, following the light I saw going down the hallway. As I caught up I heard the conversation more clearly.

“He just had a rough start Jack,” a voice said, sounding like Ray. “I had one too and so did Michael. You’re overreacting.”

“Something is going on,” Jack replied. “I don’t like the way he’s acting. No letter was sent to me about Geoff. I even asked some of the staff and none of them recall him writing to anyone about his father’s death. This was all planned.”

“Oh please Jack,” Gavin’s accent came clear through the door. “Ryan would never off his own father! What would be the point?”

“Because he sent Anna away?” Jack suggested. “Or maybe because it’s true that Ryan went insane and isn’t thinking clearly. Either way, he is not fit to be king. This whole Mad King business…it’s crazy! The staff and the people are terrified of him! That is no way to rule!”

“Ryan isn’t like that!” Ray said.

“And what if Anna had this whole thing planned?” Jack continued. “I knew those two were in love long before they even did! For all we know she devised this plan so that there wouldn’t be anything standing in the way of the crown!”

“Alright, that is enough!” Ray snapped. “Anna is a kind hearted woman. She loved Geoff like a father, even after he sent her away. Her heart was broken when she came back and saw how the towns were. She gave our food and her own money to an elderly lady because she couldn’t bear the thought of the people going hungry. Anna would never plan an assassination.” I sent a silent thank you to Ray for sticking up for me. They had stopped just outside the library. I was hiding at the corner of the hallways, straining to hear their whispers.

“Even if it wasn’t her, Ryan is up to something,” Jack shook his head. “I just know it.”

“Just let it go, Jack,” Michael tried. “Look, we’ll help Ryan out a bit and then we’ll take off. A few days. That’s all we have to stay here for.”

“Well then here’s the plan,” Jack said. “You guys distract him with that and I’ll see if I can find anything out about what’s going on. Joel is still up in his little town, he has eyes on everything. He must know the truth.”

“What about Anna?” Ray demanded.

“I’ll trust your word with her,” Jack said. “But if she starts acting suspicious then I’m blaming her for Geoff’s death too.” They continued down the hallway but I stayed where I was, breathing hard. Eventually I made my way back to Ryan’s rooms and quietly slipped inside. However I didn’t have to worry about waking him up because he was there, sitting on the edge of the bed, and waiting.

“I woke up and you were gone,” he said quietly.

“I heard voices outside,” I replied. “I went to go see what was going on.”

“And?”

“Jack…he doesn’t trust you. He wants to prove that you killed Geoff, he wants to take you off the throne,” I said, walking up to him. “The others don’t believe him but he’s determined. He even went as far as to blame me for making up a plan to kill Geoff so that he wouldn’t be in the way of us.” Ryan looked up at me, his eyes stormy with anger.

“He did what?” Mad King growled. “And how does he plan on finding the truth out?”

“He’s going to use the others as a distraction for you, keep you busy while they help you out, and he said something about going to see Joel.”

“Well I’m just going to have to request more of his time, aren’t I?” Mad King said, standing up and placing his hands on my shoulders. “Thank you for telling me this, love. I shall see to it that none of them realise the truth. Did he say anything else?”

“Just that he’s going to be keeping an eye on me, make sure I don’t act weird or anything,” I replied. Mad King smirked before leaning down and giving me a gentle kiss.

“Come back to bed, love. It’s still late and we have a busy day tomorrow.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me back to the bed, removing my robe for me before I crawled under the sheets. He wrapped me in his arms and pulled me tightly against him, his breathing softly tickling the back of my neck. I fell into an uneasy sleep after that, worried for what would happen during the next few days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jack is in trouble. 
> 
> Sorry about the short chapter but I only had a little bit planned for this one. A longer chapter shall be next!


	6. Madly in love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna starts to worry as the truth comes into light as to who really murdered King Geoff. Unfortunately it could lead to war

True to his word, Ryan kept Jack close to his side at all times. If, for whatever reason, Jack had to step away for just a moment, Ryan had guards escort him. I could tell Jack was getting annoyed but he couldn’t say anything against it, lest he get caught for trying to snoop. While Ryan made sure Jack was busy all day, I took the Lads and the queens out to visit the villages around the castle. We brought food to everyone, a large carriage following behind us that was filled with as much food as we could bring. It also gave me a chance to speak with the people and hear their concerns. I tried to soothe over any anger they felt towards Ryan, telling them it was merely a bump in the road and that he was working very hard to fix everything. Most went along with it. Some still thought of him as a bad king. Whatever they thought, all of them were still happy for the food.

I had gone to Ryan that morning, explaining what I had planned to do and he quickly agreed to it. He had the chefs prepare enough food for the closest villages and had seen us on our way. Ray, Gavin, Michael, Caiti, Tina and Lindsay were all happy to see the people getting properly fed. All of us had known that the castle had its own farm and there was enough food that had been stored up for the winter so we figured we’d share some of it. Next time I decided to do this I would have to try and get Ryan to come as well. It’d be good for him and the people.

“Everyone seems to like you,” Lindsay commented.

“Of course they would! A new queen going out of her way to visit these people and actually talk to them? Help solve their problems? Who wouldn’t love her?” Michael said. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Your kingdom didn’t need it,” I reminded him. “These people have been living in fear for the last few months. I want to erase some of that.”

“And what of the other villages?” Caiti asked.

“Well, I can’t get to them today,” I sighed. “But I will make my way to them. I want to visit each one, no matter how much time it takes. These people need to know that we care about them and want them to live happy lives.”

“You have such a kind heart,” Caiti smiled sadly. “It’s nothing like the blackness that is now Ryan.” I stopped my horse and turned to look at her, anger flashing through me.

“Ryan isn’t evil!” I said. “He’s just…he’s going through some hard times right now. He didn’t want any of this.” Tears stung my eyes, threatening to fall. “He wasn’t prepared enough. His father dying came at an untimely moment.” He didn’t mean it…any of it. His father, the state of the people…he wanted nothing more than to fix it. I knew he did.

“I-I’m sorry, Anna,” Caiti bowed her head. “That was uncalled for. You are right, Ryan is not evil. The rumours that have been going around…they got to me. I shouldn’t have been surprised by his behaviour. He’s barely had time to mourn his father and has been thrust into his kingly duties at such a young age.”

“What matters now is that we’re all working to bring this kingdom back to what it once was,” Ray spoke up, coming between Caiti and me. “We promised to help him any way we could, and we will.”

“Of course we will!” Gavin nodded. “Ryan is going to be the best king this land has ever seen!”

“And he will have an amazing queen to rule by his side,” Tina added, smiling over at me. We quickly finished with the last town and headed back to the castle, all of us tired from the journey. Ryan and Jack waited for us at the gates, Ryan looking happy and Jack looking annoyed. Ryan helped me off my horse and swept me into a tight hug before leading the others back inside.

“You should have seen her Ry!” Gavin carried on about me. “She was all majestic looking and stuff! A right proper queen, she was!”

“Of course she was,” Ryan smiled, looking down at me. That night we feasted on a freshly caught boar and for dessert, the chefs had made a cake.

“No!” Ray yelled. “Not the cake! I’m going cakeless!” He bolted from his chair and hid behind a suit of armour, causing everyone to laugh.

“Do not worry Ray,” Ryan chuckled. “I had a pie made as well.”

“Oh thank the lord!” Ray sighed and sat back down. Conversation flowed easily, although Jack didn’t say much. Caiti tried many times to bring him out of his mood but nothing worked. Eventually dinner was called to an end and Ryan invited the other kings for a drink out in the garden. Caiti and Tina said that they were tired and went to bed early but Lindsay was still wide eyed as ever. I took her on a walk about the castle, showing her my favorite hiding places from when Ryan and I used to play. That seemed like a lifetime ago, both of us having grown up to be two completely different people from back then.

“You love him, don’t you.” Lindsay said quietly. It wasn’t a question, it was more matter of fact, but something in her eyes troubled me.

“I’ve loved him since the day I met him,” I replied. “He was always so kind and sweet towards me, always standing up for me. If any nobles gave me a hard time Ryan would chase them out of the castle with his sword.”

“Yes, Michael was the same with me,” Lindsay smiled for a moment but turned serious again. “I don’t want you getting upset with me for saying this but I just want you to be careful. I know he would never hurt you but…the others seem to think he will.”

“So are you warning me from my husband or yours?” I said, peeking at her from the corner of my eye.

“Mine. And the other kings. Jack…he isn’t in his right mind now. I’ve heard them talking, even before we got here. Anna, be careful around them,” Lindsay turned to me and grabbed my hands. “I don’t know what Jack is planning but he wants Michael to join him.”

“Do not worry dear Lindsay,” Mad King strode down the hallway towards us, smiling. “Should the time come for me to decide who is trustworthy, you’ll be first on the list.”

“What do you mean?” Lindsay asked.

“Nothing,” Ryan replied. “Michael is waiting for you though.”

“Best not to keep him waiting then,” Lindsay smiled and headed off, leaving me alone with Ryan.

“I’m so happy that there are others looking out for my wife,” Mad King said, wrapping an arm around me and leading me to his room. Our room actually, now that I thought about it.

A chill had spread throughout the castle and Ryan set to work building a fire to warm the room up. My nightgown was still here from the night before and I went to put it on but Ryan, or rather Mad King, stopped me.

“You won’t be needing that tonight,” he said, his voice husky and low. His eyes were on fire as his fingers slid up my arm. I dropped the clothing and let myself be pulled into his arms.

 

The next morning things started going wrong. Jack had gotten to some of the servants, demanding to be told the truth. He even woke Joel up in order to get his information. While Joel stayed true to Ryan, the others spilled everything. They told them that, while there was no proof, Ryan had killed Geoff in a fit of madness. That Ryan truly did not care for this people. They even went as far as to say that there was a room, down in the dungeons, that Ryan used as a planning space and that he planned to attack the other kingdoms. That he planned to forcefully merge all kingdoms so it was one. One that he alone would rule. That same night Jack packed himself and Caiti up and left the kingdom.

Ryan was furious. Not only at Jack, but at those who betrayed him. He threw them in the dungeon until he figured out a way to deal with them. The other kings tried to calm Ryan down, saying that Jack was an idiot for not trusting him. He was a little surprised by their loyalty to him, thinking that they all had the same mindset as Jack. Eventually Ryan did calm down but he stayed in his study all day, not wanting to come out for anything. The other kings worried, unsure of what Ryan was going to do. We stayed away anyways, just to be on the safe side. None of us wanted to bring his anger back.

“Anna,” Tina said, linking arms with me. Lindsay, Tina and I had decided to take a walk through the gardens and courtyard, the tension in the castle too much for us. “You do know what this means right?”

“Hm?” I turned my head to look at her, puzzled.

“King Jack will surely declare war on Ryan,” Tina replied. “He has seen enough to know that Ryan is not fit to be king and that he killed his own father, Jack’s closest friend. I do not wish to see it come to that but…I highly doubt there is any way to reason with Jack now.”

“And the three of us know Ryan will surely answer the call to war,” Lindsay added. “But his army is small.”

“Where do the other kings stand?” I asked quietly. “Who do they favor more?”

“That is an unfair thing to ask,” Tina said.

“So is thinking my husband is guilty of murder,” I sighed. “But if Ryan asked, would they stand with him?”

“Ray would,” Tina replied. “Ray loves him like a brother. He would stand by Ryan’s side even if it was proven Ryan killed Geoff.”

“Michael would too,” Lindsay nodded. “Same for Gavin, I’m sure.” I nodded and we continued our walk, enjoying the warmth of the sun. Michael came to find us a bit later, telling us that lunch was ready. We headed inside and I wasn’t surprised to find that Ryan wouldn’t be joining us.

“Has food been sent up to him?” Ray asked one of the maids, who nodded and continued bringing the food out. We all ate in silence, too worried about what the future would bring. After lunch the kings told me they’d be leaving in the morning. They didn’t want to bother Ryan anymore and he seemed to understand how to properly manage the kingdom for now.

“Plus, he’s got a kickass queen to help out!” Michael said, putting an arm around me. “Don’t worry about Jack. We’ll head over there before we go home and talk to him. It’ll get sorted out.”

“I hope you’re right,” I sighed. “I think it would hurt Ryan badly if Jack broke the alliance between them.”

“It won’t come to that,” Gavin said. “Promise!” I smiled at them as they headed out to do their own things in order to be prepared for the journey tomorrow. Only Ray stayed behind, wanting to walk with me.

“It’ll be weird, not having you in the castle with us,” he said, a sad smile crossing his face. “Man, what a turn of events this has been.”

“I’ll come visit,” I promised. “This castle could use some more roses anyways and I want to hand pick them.”

“I look forward to that day then,” Ray laughed. “It’ll be the first time my kingdom will have run out of roses!” I laughed along with him. When he calmed down his face turned serious. “You will take care of yourself? Not that I don’t trust Ryan but…with Jack now an unforeseeable issue things could turn downhill quickly.”

“Do not worry dear Ray,” I said. “Jack is overreacting. In his grief over this loss of his friend he has turned to the only thing one can in that state of mind; accusing someone of the murder. In this case it turned out to be Ryan. I am sure all will be resolved once they talk.” I hopped so anyways. I believed with my entire being that Ryan was not responsible for the death of his father. Speaking of Ryan, I excused myself from Ray and headed up to the study, wanting to check up on Ryan. When I got closer to the door I could hear an argument going on inside. I paused for a moment, wondering who else was in there, but the only voice I heard was Ryan’s. He was arguing with himself. I instantly recognized the coldness of Mad King and then the calmer, gentler voice of Ryan. I pressed my ear up to the door so I could hear better, trying to stay quiet.

“This is not going as planned!” Mad King roared. “He will ruin us! We can’t trust any of them!”

“But the others…” Ryan tried to say.

“The others will quickly join him too!” Mad King cut in. “We are alone in this!”

“Ray would never leave us!” Ryan insisted. “He is like our family!”

“Look where family got us in the first place!” Mad King hissed. “Father is dead and our Mother is off hiding, too scared of her own son to even check and make sure we are okay.”

“Maybe we could talk to Jack, make him see that we are innocent!” Ryan said.

“Ha!” Mad King barked out a laugh. “Like that will work. We’re as good as convicted in his eyes. We had the motive, we had the means. It would be easy to slip a knife into Geoff’s chest and get away with it. Even our own people believe it! _Joel_ believes it.”

“Anna doesn’t.” They were both silent for a moment and I could hear heavy footsteps walking away from the door. A chair scraped across the floor.

“Anna is innocent,” Mad King sighed. “She wouldn’t believe it if someone told her we killed a fly.”

“She loves us.”

“She loves you,” Mad King corrected. “What she feels for me is uncertain at this moment. Being thrust into this life of ours…”

“She has proven herself over and over again,” Ryan replied. “She will stay with us no matter what.”

“And what if she finds out, huh?” Mad King yelled. “What if she figures out who really killed Geoff? Then what? You think she’s going to stay then? We murdered him, in cold blood!”

“He made us do it!” Ryan’s voice was strained.

“Like hell he did! More like _I_ made you do it!” Something crashed against the wall and I winced. “And what will Anna think when she finds out that it was I who slit that bastard’s throat? I doubt she’ll even want us near her.”

I felt myself go cold. It was Ryan, it had been all along. Everyone was right. He killed his own father. My sweet, loving Ryan murdered his own father. I didn’t really know how to feel about that. In all honesty, I wanted to protect him even more now. Without even realising what I was doing, I opened the study door and marched in, surprising Ryan.

“Anna!” He looked embarrassed. The entire study had been torn apart. Books were laying open, the pages torn out. A chair had been smashed against the wall, everything on the desk had been swept off, ink leaking out of a broken bottle. “Darling, what are you doing in here?”

“Why did you kill him?” I asked quietly, gazing up into his blue eyes.

“What?” He looked confused.

“Geoff,” I replied. “Why did you kill Geoff?”

“I-I didn’t…” Confusion turned to worry as Ryan slowly backed away from me. “I swear I didn’t.”

“Ryan, I heard you.” Panic filled his features before his face hardened, Mad King coming out.

“And what if I did?” He demanded. “Are you going to run and tell the others like everybody seems to be doing? Condemn me to my death?”

“No,” I shook my head slowly. “I just want to know why.”

“Why do you think?!” Mad King yelled. “Because of you! Because I can’t go two seconds without my thoughts filling of you! I hated him ever since the day he sent you away.” His voice cracked at that last part and the hint of tears filled his eyes. “He tore my only reason to live away from me and then chained me up like some _animal_! He poisoned my food, hopping to rid me of whatever witch craft he saw me under. I couldn’t take it anymore. I broke out of my cell and I went to his bedchambers and killed him, while everyone was sleeping. The next morning they found me back in my cell and the king was dead.” He fell to his knees and buried his face in his hands, pulling at his hair.

“Ryan.” A tear slipped from my eye as I went to him, wrapping my arms around him.

“I am not proud of what I have done,” he whispered. “I lost control. The constant pain drove me insane. I had to stop it, had to make it go away.” He looked back up at me, tears escaping from his eyes. I think that was the only time anyone had seen Mad King in such a vulnerable position. “But I would never hurt you. You, who has brought such joy to my life…” His fingers traced my face gently, carefully, like he was afraid I’d disappear.

“I won’t tell the others,” I whispered. “I promise.” Ryan nodded and then wrapped his arms around me, burying his face into my neck. We held each other like that for a bit before a servant came to tell us that the kings wished to speak with Ryan. He gave me a quick kiss on the forehead before following the servant. I stood there, the silence overtaking me. I started to wonder what was going to happen now. Ryan had just admitted to his father’s murder. I was going to stay true to my word and not tell anyone but…if someone could prove that it was Ryan then Jack would have nothing standing in the way of taking him down. I couldn’t let it come to that. I made up my mind and headed down to the dungeons, wanting to speak with the servants that Jack had spoken too. I needed to know that nobody saw him that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooooooooooooooooo people do things when in love, you know?


	7. There is no Love in War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna decides to stop a war from happening before it's even begun and she asks the help of Queens Tina and Lindsay. However, what awaits them is not what she was expecting.

There was no guard down there, only the cells and the three servants. When they heard me approaching their heads shot up and fear entered their faces but they soon relaxed when they saw me.

“Anna,” one said reaching out to me. I remembered her. She used to watch Ryan and I when we were younger, taking us for walks and letting us play in the gardens. “Queen Anna please. We meant no harm. King Jack he…he threatened our families.”

“I can’t help you and you know it,” I replied. “He won’t listen to me on this matter. But I need to know something.” I knelt down so we were eye level.

“Anything,” the servant nodded.

“Did any of you actually see him that night? Any of the servants?” I asked.

“I did,” one of the others spoke up. “I was working a bit late, cleaning up after a party the king had held. As I was walking out I saw the prince sneaking about. He was mumbling to himself he was. I followed him and it’s a good thing I did. Saw the whole thing with my own two eyes.” He pointed at himself as if to prove it.

“So you saw what was happening and you didn’t try to stop it?” I said. He looked worried for a moment, trying to come up with an answer. “So let me get this straight. You lied to Jack about Ryan? For what purpose?”

“He is an evil king!” The woman cried. “He will tear this kingdom apart and he does not care what happens to his people! We will all die a horrid death by his hand. I pray for the day that we are saved!”

“So you thought lying would get you there?” I demanded. “Do you realise what you could have done? Jack may be planning war now. This kingdom will be torn apart and I can guarantee it will end in bloodshed. Is that your vision of freedom?”

“If it would mean the end of his tyranny then yes.” All three of them nodded.

“You’ve sentenced us all to die!” I yelled. “Do you not understand that? Ryan will not just roll over when Jack’s army comes marching! He will fight until there is nothing left!” That put uncertainty in their eyes but not a lot. Outraged, I stormed out of the dungeon and headed for the guest rooms. The kings may be busy but their queens wouldn’t be. I went to Ray and Tina’s room first and found both Tina and Lindsay inside, talking quietly.

“Anna,” Tina came over to me and grabbed my hands. “What is it? You look upset.”

“I need you two to bring me to Jack’s castle now,” I said. “I need to put things right. He won’t listen to Ryan but maybe he’ll listen to me.”

“But…the kings-” Lindsay started to say but I cut her off.

“The kings will receive a note from me as soon as we are outside the kingdom,” I told her. “Please Lindsay. If Jack really does wish to call war upon this kingdom then we need to stop it before his army reaches these borders. The kingdom will not survive a fight.” The two queens looked at each other before nodding. We quickly got ready and I wrote a note to the kings, telling them of my plan and to not come after us. I called over one of the servants and paid them in a few gold coins to wait an hour before giving the letter to the kings. When I was sure they were going to do as I said, I led the other two queens out to the stables and we hopped on our horses, starting for Jack’s kingdom. Since it was the closest to Ryan’s kingdom, the ride to the borders was short, especially with the pace we had set our horses to. Soon we were entering the Mountain Kingdom and my heart rate picked up. I had told the girls to dress in plain clothes so we didn’t draw attention to us. All three of us wore our hoods up so our faces were covered and yet I still felt like there were eyes watching our every movement. I knew by then the letter I had written would be given to Ryan and I could only guess the anger that would course through him. Mad King would come out and the castle would be destroyed as he put together the men to come after us.

“What are you planning on saying to Jack?” Lindsay asked.

“The truth,” I replied. Well…half of the truth anyways. “Those servants lied to him. They saw nothing and have no other witnesses to the death of King Geoff. They were only trying to get Ryan off the throne. The nerve of them. He wasn’t able to learn everything about being king and they blame him for every mistake he made and give him a hard time about it! If it wasn’t for Geoff’s untimely death things would have been better.”

“And the Mad King?” Tina asked. “Anna, your husband has two personalities now. One is highly dangerous and wouldn’t think twice about harming you. It isn’t Ryan they blame. It’s him.”

“I don’t care how much he denies it,” I shook my head. “Ryan and the Mad King are one and the same. They’re both terrified of what’s been happening and want to put an end to it.”

“What happened all those years ago for Ryan to resort to splitting his personality like that?” Lindsay wondered aloud. “It wasn’t just because you left…was it?”

“I don’t think so,” I sighed. “He said Mad King has always been there just…hiding. I think he was just waiting for…something.” The others fell silent as Jack’s castle came into view. It was late afternoon, judging from the sun, and I felt proud at making such good time.

“Are you ready for this?” Tina asked.

“No,” I replied. “Come on.” We headed up to the gates and were stopped by the guards there.

“Who are you?” One demanded. I lowered my hood and Tina and Lindsay did the same.

“Queen Anna, from the Kingdom of Edgar,” I replied. “I seek an audience with your king.”

“Very well,” he nodded. “Follow me. I’ll go announce your arrival.” He grabbed the reins on my horse and led us through town towards the stables where Lindsay, Tina and I hopped off our horses and followed the guard inside the castle. It was a lot colder in this kingdom, a lot of the lands on the sides of mountains. I remembered when I was a child and Jack had come to Geoff, seeking help. An avalanche had buried a lot of the towns under deep snow, the town’s people having got out of there just in time. Geoff set up temporary homes for everyone throughout his kingdom until the snow melted around spring time. However, even during the middle of summer the temperature was cooler and sometimes it still snowed.

The castle was, thankfully, warm. I had only been inside those walls once before, and that was when my father had still been alive. Geoff and Griffon had needed an escort so they could visit their friend and my father had offered, as long as it was okay that I go to. I don’t remember much of that small visit, but I did remember how Jack’s castle, while made in the mountains, was always so warm.

“Wait here,” the guard commanded and left us to go find Jack. It wasn’t even five minutes later that Jack came storming towards us.

“Why are you here?” He demanded, fire in his eyes. The other two Queens bowed their heads but I kept my gaze on Jack’s.

“We need to talk,” I replied, my voice firm.

“Whatever it is you have to say I don’t want to hear it,” he huffed. “All you’re going to do is try and defend him anyways.”

“The servants lied,” I said. “I went and talked to them. They only said those things so you would kill Ryan out of anger. They wouldn’t forgive him for being unready for the throne. They even said they’d rather the kingdom fall to ruins by your sword than to see Ryan continue on as king. They condemned their fellow people and they lied to you.” That made him stop for a moment, his hard gaze slicing through me, trying to see if I was lying.

“You’re sure?”

“Yes,” I nodded. “I know you’re upset by Geoff’s death, and I am as shocked as you are, but we need to think rationally. The last thing he would have wanted was war between his best friend and his son.” Jack sighed and rubbed a hand over his face.

“Very well,” he said. “I will…I will talk to Ryan and base my decision on that. For now, the three of you should stay for the night. The sun will be down soon and the roads are dangerous at night. I take it the kings know you are here?”

“Well if they got my note then yes,” I replied. Jack just sighed again and called for a servant to show us our rooms. Once we were settled, Caiti came to find us and welcome us to the castle. She then led us to a dining hall where Jack was waiting.

“Please, eat all you like,” Jack gestured to the table. “Your journey must have been tiring.” We thanked him and sat down, servants coming out with plates already full of food. They were set down in front of us and all of us dug in.

“Where’s Meg?” Tina asked.

“She isn’t feeling very well,” Jack replied. “I have decided that I will accompany you three back to Ryan’s kingdom in the morning. We can have a proper talk then.”

“He’s been so worried Jack,” I said. “He never wanted to cause you harm like that.” Jack just nodded and continued eating. It didn’t hit me that something was wrong until I was almost done my meal. My head started feeling fuzzy and the world around me started spinning lightly.

“Jack,” I heard Caiti say worriedly. “What have you done?” I saw Tina and Lindsay lay their heads down and guards came forward to chain their hands behind their backs and carry them away. One did the same to me and I was dragged out of the room. I tried to stay awake but I was losing quickly. Jack was following us and the last thing I saw before I completely blacked out was him locking a cell door behind me.

 

When I woke up I was cold. The ground beneath me was freezing and hard. My mouth was dry and my head still felt a bit fuzzy but that didn’t stop be from sitting up. I was in a cell, the only light coming from a torch set a few feet away from it. I had no idea what time it was or how long I had been out but I knew that I had to get out of there.

“Lindsay?” I called. “Tina?” I heard a groan further down the hall from another cell.

“I’m awake,” Lindsay called back. “Tina is still kind of out of it.”

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Yeah I’m fine. I’m cold though,” Lindsay replied. “Why would Jack do this?”

“Because I don’t trust dear Anna here,” Jack stepped from the shadows wearing full body armour. “I don’t trust her judgement, which has been clouded by her love for her Mad King.” He sneered the name and walked right up to my cell. “The last thing I need is for you to get in the way of this. Ryan killed Geoff and he will pay for his actions.”

“You would rather kill innocent people than listen to reason?” Lindsay asked, outraged. “Where is your daughter Jack? She was there, was she not? She will tell you the truth!”

“My daughter came running back to my kingdom, terrified of Ryan. She refused to go back or even talk about what went on there! I am surprised at how long she’s kept the death of Geoff a secret. She wouldn’t do that unless somebody made her,” Jack stared right at me as he said that.

“You think Ryan threatened her?” I demanded.

“I know he did,” Jack snarled. “And I will have his head for it.”

“And then what? What about the kingdom? About Anna?” Lindsay asked.

“The kingdom will merge with mine,” Jack declared. “As for Anna…well, she can join the fate of her husband.” With that he turned and headed back down the hallway. I sat there, fear freezing me in place, as I realised what was about to happen and how helpless I was to stop it. So soon had I found happiness again and here it was being ripped away from me for a second time. Life just wasn’t fair sometimes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh i'm so sorry for not updating this sooner. I've just had a huge block with the fic.


	8. Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna has to figure out a way to stop Jack and gets help from somebody unexpected.

I didn’t know how much time past while we sat in our cells. I didn’t know if it was already too last, the kingdom already lost and Ryan already dead. Lindsay and Tina tried to get me to talk after Jack left but I had nothing to say. I fucked up. I went in and out of sleep for a while, the cold ground offering no comfort, when I heard quiet footsteps approaching us. I instantly sat up, the other two falling quiet. I wondered if it was Jack coming back to laugh about his victory but quickly discarded the thought. He would have had the guards come for us. Instead, I found myself face to face with Meg. She looked different, bags under her eyes and her once vibrant hair dull and flat.

“Meg,” I stood up and walked over to the cell door. “What’s happening?”

“Father left a few moments ago,” she replied. “His entire army trailing after him.”

“Then it’s already over,” I sighed, fear striking through me.

“Not entirely,” Meg said. She pulled a key out of her sleeve. “They are taking a longer route, wanting to see if any of the town’s people will stand up with them. We still have time.” She unlocked my door and then headed to the other two.

“Why are you helping us?” Tina asked. “Your father said-”

“My father doesn’t know anything,” she sighed. “I know what happened that night, the night Geoff died. What really happened anyways. It wasn’t out of cold blood that Ryan murdered his father.”

“So he did do it!” Lindsay exclaimed, her eyes turning to mine. “And you knew didn’t you? You lied to all of us! Made us think he was truly innocent when in fact he was guilty of murder!”

“No please,” Meg cried. “It’s not what you think. Geoff had gone crazy with power. He was planning attacks on your kingdoms. He didn’t trust you anymore. I fear he fell under the same sickness that plagues Ryan’s mind now. Ryan did it to save the alliances with the kingdoms. Geoff…he didn’t trust anyone anymore. He would stay up for hours, stalking the hallways, muttering about how everyone was turning against him. He forced his troops to train day and night, not giving them enough time for rest. He refused to speak to the town’s people, instead had someone stand in for him. He would throw fits every night, yelling about how he was the king and nobody will ever dare to cross him again.”

“He was going to attack us?” Tina repeated. “But…we never gave him any reason to not trust us!”

“It didn’t matter,” Meg shook her head slowly. “I don’t know what happened to him but it took hold of him fast.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Lindsay asked. “Why keep this hidden from Jack?”

“Ryan begged me to,” Meg replied. “He said that he did not want his father remembered in that way, as a monster who turned on everyone. Queen Griffon? She did not flee in fear of her son. She went back home in fear of her husband. She tried to take Ryan with her but Geoff nearly killed her for it. I did not realise that things would get so out of hand.”

“We must hurry then!” Tina said. “We have to get back before Jack does.” Meg nodded and led us out of the dungeon. She let us change and clean up a bit first, the dungeon having ruined our clothes. After that she led us to the stables and the four of us hopped on our horses. We started back down the mountain side, the hooves of our horses thundering as they hit the ground. All I could think about was what Jack had planned when he got to the castle. Meg said we had time, that he wouldn’t get there until much later. I just hoped it was enough.

 

**Ryan’s POV**

Mad King paced the room, unable to settle down. Ever since Anna left he had been a whirlwind of anger, breaking anything within arm’s reach. The other kings had long since stopped trying to calm him and instead just watched as he paced. As soon as Ryan had received the letter from Anna, Mad King had come out, sending people after the queens. They came back after they reached to border to Jack’s kingdom, no signs of the queens anywhere.

“I’m sure they’re on the way back now,” Michael tried again. He was just as worried as Ryan was about his wife.

“Yeah!” Gavin nodded. “Jack wouldn’t do anything to the queens, right?”

“He isn’t exactly in his right mind at the moment,” Ray said quietly. He was staring out the window, not really seeing anything outside.

“Sir!” Someone came bursting into the room. “The queens are back!” Everyone shot out of the room, following the servant to the main entrance. When they got there, Ryan instantly went to Anna’s side and scooped her up in his arms. Ray and Michael did the same with their wives, leaving Meg and Gavin to stand awkwardly to the side.

“Anna,” Ryan breathed. “Please do not ever do that again. I was so worried.”

“Ryan, we don’t have much time,” she said, pulling away slightly. “Jack is on his way now, with his army. He took a longer route than us, wanting to gather the villagers together.”

“You mean you guys went over there for nothing?!” Ray yelled. “Why is he being so stubborn?”

“Because Ryan is guilty in his mind,” Michael said. “It won’t matter how often we tell him Ryan had nothing to do with Geoff’s murder. He wants someone to blame.” Ryan shifted uncomfortably, knowing full well it was his fault.

“Actually…” Meg finally spoke up and Ryan turned hard eyes on her. She wouldn’t. She promised! “Ryan I know you didn’t want to tell them but you have to. They have to know!”

“Know what?” Gavin asked. Everyone turned to Ryan.

“What’s she talking about?” Ray asked.

“I um…I…” Ryan started to panic. He wasn’t ready to tell them. He didn’t want them to know. Whatever his father did while he was alive didn’t change the fact that Geoff was Ryan’s dad. To see his image damaged forever….

“It wasn’t like we were told,” Anna said, speaking up. Ryan glanced down at her in surprise. “Geoff he…he was sick. He planned to attack all of you. Ryan did want he did to stop him from completely destroying the kingdoms.”

“You mean to tell me that Geoff, someone who regarded us all highly, was going to attack us?” Michael asked. “Why?”

“Like Anna said,” Meg stepped forward. “He was sick. His mind was going. We weren’t sure what happened but it did, and quickly too. The day after he died was the day he was going to start his attacks.”

“I wanted to keep everything at peace,” Ryan said quietly. “I couldn’t stop him any other way.”

“Then why didn’t you tell us?” Ray asked. “And what about Mad King? Where does he fit into all of this?”

“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want his friends to see him as the monster I witnessed him become. I didn’t want his memory to be a bad one,” Ryan shook his head. “I didn’t want you to think that I had the same mindset. As for Mad King…well, he is the result of Geoff’s madness really. Before his death, Geoff would poison me and keep me locked away for days. It resulted in the same madness that overtook my father’s mind. Only this time it split me in half.” The others were silent for a long time, all of the processing what had been said. Eventually, Ray stepped up to Ryan and wrapped his arms around the taller man in an awkward hug.

“Ryan you are like a brother to me,” Ray said. “I would never turn against you because of what your father did.”

“But wait,” Gavin said. “If what Ryan said was true, then why do the town’s people think he wronged Geoff? Surely they knew?”

“They didn’t actually,” Ryan replied. “He didn’t really do anything to offend them. In their eyes, he was still a good king.”

“Okay great,” Meg crossed her arms. “If we’re done with the emotional part, we have to figure out a way to stop my father.”

“Well we have to force him to listen!” Lindsay said.

“What about his army though?” Tina asked.

“We can’t get our troops here in time,” Ray said sadly.

“We wait until they come knocking,” Ryan said simply. “Then we make him listen. Guards!” Ryan’s loud voice roared through the hallways. Men came running at once, waiting for their orders. “Barricade the doors! Lock the windows! Make sure nobody can get in or out.” Mad King had taken over once again as he led the others to a room on the third floor that had a balcony which looked over where Jack’s army would come from.

“What if he still refuses to hear us out?” Michael asked. Mad King was silent, his stormy blue eyes staring out across the land. He had made a decision without consulting the others, knowing they would be against it the entire time. If Jack still wished to continue on with his plans of war then Mad King would do the only thing to save his kingdom. Both he and Ryan agreed it was the only way. As long as Jack agreed to their terms anyways.

“Ryan?” Gavin said, looking between Ryan and the other kings. “What is your plan?”

“Let us hope it does not come down to another plan,” Mad King replied. “Jack must listen. He will not attack with his daughter here.” He turned around and faced Meg, who instantly began backing up.

“Ryan…” she said in a warning tone.

“I’m not going to hurt you or anything,” Mad King promised. “I just…want to tie you up and threaten Jack a bit.”

“Ryan!” Gavin stood protectively in front of Meg.

“What? I said I wouldn’t hurt her what more do you want?!” Mad King sighed. “You want Jack breaking down the door and killing all of us? If we say we kidnapped his daughter he’ll be more inclined to listen.”

“Yeah but…do you have to tie me up?” Meg asked quietly.

“Yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes.


	9. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack's army has come and they are looking for blood. Will Ryan be able to stop them before it becomes too much?

We waited in silence, the roar of galloping hooves heard from afar. Jack was almost to the castle. Meg was currently standing beside me, a rope binding her arms to her sides. It wasn’t tied tightly but it was enough so she could hardly move. The sun had fallen long ago and I could see the glow of torches approaching the front gates. Ryan paced behind us, the others having gone down to the court yard to fight if need be. Meg, Ryan and I were standing on the balcony overlooking the courtyard. The castles guards were surrounding the doors, all of them ready for a fight.

“Sir! King Jack is approaching the gates!” A guard came into the room covered in armour.

“Then open them!” Mad King snapped. “Let’s welcome our old friend with open arms!” Meg whimpered quietly beside me. I knew she was afraid of what would happen to her father and I patted her hand reassuringly. Ryan would never kill Jack, no matter what the circumstances were. The guard nodded and ran back out of the room, yelling for the others to open the gates. I watched as they slid open, revealing Jack’s army. They didn’t rush in as soon as enough space was given. Instead, all of them walked their horses slowly to the courtyard. I saw a few of the town’s people were with them and I winced. They really wanted Ryan dead.

“I am here for Ryan and Ryan alone!” Jack called to the guards. “None of you need to die tonight.”

“Neither does Ryan!” Michael yelled, stepping forward. Gavin and Ray followed suit, their swords drawn but pointed down. “This is a misunderstanding Jack. Please leave.”

“Traitors!” Jack cried. Anger was clear on his face. “All of you! You’ve allowed him to poison your minds!”

“Now Jack,” Mad King come up beside me, looking down at Jack. “They are my friends. They real friends. They actually listened to me when I asked them too. If you would just give me the time to explain everything-”

“I gave you time and I was told lies!” Jack yelled. “Geoff is dead by your hand, this kingdom has gone to waste. I will remove you from the throne!”

“But Jack, I have your daughter,” Mad King motioned towards Meg and I pushed her farther up so Jack could see her. “Would you really risk her life for the sake of revenge?”

“How?!” Jack cried.

“She stupidly helped my wife and the other Queens out of your kingdom and I decided a good thank you was to use her,” Mad King grinned. “She makes a lovely bargaining chip, does she not?”

“Bargaining chip?!” Jack repeated.

“I want you, and only you, to come inside the castle so we can talk,” Ryan explained. “Yes I have not been as…truthful as I had admitted before but it was not for the reasons you think. Please Jack, I beg of you. Just listen to me.”

“And if I don’t?” Jack asked.

“Then Meg doesn’t return home,” Mad King snarled. “Your choice.”

“Father just listen to him!” Meg called. “Please!”

“Why? Just so you can spew another lie about how you didn’t murder King Geoff?” Jack demanded.

“Jack please just come inside,” Gavin tried. “We trust Ryan. You should too.”

“Idiots,” Jack hissed and took his sword out. “All of you. Protecting a lying murderer. If you will not aid me in this than you will be cut down just the same. Now!” Jack and his army surged forward and were met by swords and shields.

“No!” Ryan yelled and jumped off the balcony, landing just behind the fight. He ran forwards and joined his guards.

“Ryan!” I screamed but he was quickly lost in the crowd, his sword singing through the air as he fought his way to Jack. I tried to locate the other Kings and found them fighting off Jack’s guards who were protecting him. I whirled around and untied Meg. “We have to stop them!” I cried. Meg nodded and followed me out of the room. “Do you know how to use a sword?”

“Yes!” Meg replied. I nodded and headed for where we kept the weapons. The room was almost barren save for two swords and a few shields. “Well, that was lucky.” Meg breathed, trying to catch her breath.

“Don’t jinx it,” I warned. Sword and shields in hand we headed back out to the front doors.

“Anna!” Someone called. I turned around and saw Joel running up to us wearing his armour as well. “So, it came down to a fight, did it?” I nodded.

“Stupid Jack and his stupid pig headedness!” Tina yelled, coming from her room with Lindsay close behind. They too were carrying weapons. “When Ryan’s done with him I’m going to smack him so hard I leave a hand print for months!”

“Geeze Tina,” Lindsay laughed. “You sure aren’t the violent type are you?”

“Shut up I’m angry!”

“Don’t kill anyone,” I pleaded to them. “Just try to disarm them. We need to get to Jack before he does something stupid.” They nodded and I opened the doors. Already the ground was covered in blood. Bodies from both sides littered the courtyard and I bit back a cry.

“The kings!” Meg yelled, pointing. Jack and his personal guards stood strong, trying to fight off Michael, Ray and Gavin. Ryan was handling a few of the soldiers and I quickly ran over to him. I hit one over the head with my shield, knocking him out cold. That left only two. Easy enough.

“Anna?!” Mad King roared.

“Shut up I don’t want to hear it!” I replied. “You need to get to Jack! Get him to stop his men! It’s already turned into a bloodbath!” I blocked a blow from one of the soldiers.

“Where did you learn how to use a sword?” Ryan demanded.

“Ray,” I found an opening and hit the soldier across the face with the edge of my shield. He dropped instantly. “Try not to kill too many people dear. The last thing we need is Jack blaming you for that too!” Ryan finished off his guy and headed for Jack who wasn’t looking so good. Tina and Lindsay had rushed to help their husbands out and they had made quick work of Jack’s guards. Now Jack was cornered by them, a look of pure rage on his face.

“Jack!” Ryan said, coming up to them. “Call them off!”

“No!” Jack yelled.

“Jack! Do as he says! Call them off!” Michael roared.

“Forget it! This kingdom is mine now! I will avenge Geoff!”

“Geoff wanted you dead!” Mad King practically screamed. All at once it grew quiet and I looked around us to find that the soldiers had stopped to see what was going on. Amazing what raising your voice could do. “He was planning an attack on your kingdom!”

“Lies!” Jack cried.

“It is not a lie! Would you like to see his notes?! The plans?” Mad King demanded. “He wanted you all dead. I had to stop him.”

“No…he would…he would never do that! We were friends!” Jack said.

“And I was his son,” Ryan said softly. “And yet he locked me up because I married the woman I loved. My father…he was sick. There was nothing else I could do. I wanted to keep these lands united. I had no choice. Just ask Meg.”

“It’s true,” Meg joined us, her sword dripping in blood. She had a cut on her arm but it wasn’t too bad. “I didn’t tell you because Ryan asked me not to. He wanted Geoff to be remembered as a great king. It’s why he let all those rumours go. If the people thought him a bad king then it was better that way.”

“My father’s image wouldn’t be destroyed,” Ryan sighed. “Jack, I am sorry. I wanted to tell you all but I was afraid. The madness my father had spread to me but I do not what the same things he did.”

“But…why would Geoff lie to me?” Jack asked, more to himself. “When we spoke, he always seemed happy…”

“It was a trick,” Ryan replied. “Please, call this off. Let us talk. I will show you exactly what my father wrote during those dark days of his.” Jack nodded and turned to his troops.

“I have made an error today,” he said. “Please, all of you, make camp outside the walls. Dress your wounds and tend to the dead. I will join you later.” His soldiers looked confused for a moment before putting their swords away. Ryan’s men did the same and actually offered to help in any way they could. Ryan led us back into the castle where food was prepared and Meg’s wound tended to. Ryan sat Jack down and showed him everything that Geoff had written down; his plans and his thoughts. Jack read it all with tears in his eyes.

“I tried so hard to talk him out of it,” Ryan said quietly. “He would listen to no one. I am sorry.”

“No, it is I who should be sorry,” Jack sighed. “I have caused you a great deal of pain just now. You lost some men today. I am sorry for not trusting you. I can understand why you would want to hide this.” He gestured to the papers strewn across the table.

“Then let us put everything behind us,” Ryan suggested. “Start anew. The five of us shall be the strongest alliance ever to be made and no one will dare to threaten our borders.”

“Actually four of us,” Michael snickered. “Gavin just snuck off.”

“Where the hell did he go?” Ray demanded. “This is a very emotional scene right now.”

“I think he went to go check on Meg,” Michael replied. “He’s been making eyes at her since she showed up.”

“Oh really?” Jack asked. “I think he and I need to have a little talk.” Ray and Michael started laughing and I couldn’t help but smile. Today had definitely been a weird one.

After a few hours Jack returned to his troops. They’d be heading home the next day and he wanted to make sure everything was ready. The other kings went to their rooms and from the sounds of it, not much sleeping was going on in them. At least Gavin’s was quiet so I didn’t have to worry about that becoming an issue any time soon.

“My lady,” Ryan came up to me and offered me his arm. I took it and allowed him to lead me back to his room. “I must say, your fighting sucks.”

“Fuck you.”

“Your stance is way off,” he continued. “And you need to work on your swordsmanship. What on earth was Ray teaching you?”

“Well we had only just begun the basics…” I mumbled. Ryan laughed.

“Then I guess I will need to continue your lessons,” he said.

“I guess you will,” I grinned. When we got to his room he closed the door behind us and pushed me up against it, peppering my neck with kisses.

“You know I love you, right?” He whispered.

“I’ve heard it once or twice,” I breathed.

“Perhaps I should show you then?”

“Perhaps you should,” I giggled. He lifted me up in his arms and carried me to the bed. “Everything is going to be okay now, right?”

“Yes,” Ryan smiled. “Everything is going to be perfect. We can live normal lives. Well, as normal as life can get when your husband has two minds.”

“Good,” I sighed. “Because I have something to tell you.”

“Oh? And what is that?” He started kissing my neck again, gently nipping at the skin.

“I’m pregnant,” I said quickly. Ryan paused and sat up, looking down at me.

“You’re…” He seemed to be processing what I had said and I started to worry for a moment before a huge grin broke out on his face. “When?”

“I found out just before I left for Jack’s,” I replied. “I wanted to tell you but with everything going on…” Ryan gathered me up in his arms and crushed me to his chest.

“Oh Anna,” he breathed. “My love. My only love. I promise I will get this land back in working condition before our child arrives. I want him or her to come to a welcoming world.”

“I love you,” I said and snuggled closer to him. I couldn’t believe what we had just gone through but I was glad we made it. The one thing I wanted in my life was to be with Ryan and now I was finally being given that chance. I had no idea what to expect from the future but I knew it was going to be a happy one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit. Nine chapters. Nine chapters and it's over. This will be the shortest fic I have ever written. So guess what. I'll add a few more chapters that happen a few months/years down the line.


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